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harkasun · 5 years ago

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By the Shadows of Dusk

For permetstu and izzymalec’s 5 Months of Shadowhunters Challenge!

Read HERE on Ao3 or read below

Week 12: Favourite Episode

↳ By the Light of Dawn (Season 2, Episode 10)

***

A sound from outside the room startles Magnus upright.

A gasp catches halfway out of his mouth as he wakes, lifting a hand to hold his neck as the air hits raw and painful in the back of his throat. It takes him a minute to realise where he is, what had happened before he had returned to his apartment and fallen asleep.

Memories of the institute fill his mind, of finding Madzie and taking her to Catarina’s, of returning to the scene of a massacre and being unable to find Alec.

It had been awful and terrifying, but, after all that ordeal, Alec had told him he loved him. It was incredible, if not slightly overwhelming. Magnus hadn’t heard those three little words for a very long time.

Now, the room is empty aside from himself, which isn’t unnatural by any means. It is the sound from outside that is strange. His loft is not a place that can be broken into easily. His warding doesn’t permit access to just anyone. Maybe it is just because of the events that transpired the night before, but paranoia is quickly setting in.

Magnus eases himself out of bed, snapping the magic to his hands as he steps lightly towards the door. There is another clatter from out in the loft. Frowning, Magnus tries to figure out how they could get past his wards. It is something he will have to question once he has them contained.

He is just glad Alec returned to the Institute and is out of danger.

Footsteps alert him to the person moving, echoing closer and closer and he wrenches the door aside, casting a hand out to flare the magic to his fingertips, prepared to challenge the intruder, to send his power to bind them.

Alec startles violently, almost spilling the contents of the mug he held, cradling it anxiously with his free hand. “By the Angel, Magnus,” he chides, eyes scanning the floor to ensure it hadn’t spilt before glancing back to his boyfriend.

Magnus immediately lowers his hand, banishing the magic in the process. “I’m sorry, I didn’t...” He shakes his head, swallows hard at the realisation that he might have hurt the shadowhunter had he not managed to control himself. “I heard someone in the apartment. I didn’t know you’d still be here.”

They had returned to the apartment together after their ordeal at the institute. Shadowhunters had died too. They talked for hours about those who had been lost. Magnus supposes he had fallen asleep. He had assumed that Alec must have gone back to the Institute by now.

It is just now dawning on him that—since he fell asleep on the sofa—Alec must have carried him to bed like a child. Embarrassment flushes his cheeks and he ducks his head a little in attempt to hide it, a hand lifting to rub the back of his neck.

Alec looks at him strangely, but doesn’t comment on his sudden coyness. “Of course I’m still here... What, you think I’d leave you after everything that happened?”

“Well, yes, I suppose that’s exactly what I thought.”

Alec blinks, narrows his eyes. “Magnus, people died. People you knew. I know there weren’t any warlocks there, but still... they were downworlders. They were your people.”

Magnus works his jaw briefly, casting his gaze away from Alec’s own. He doesn’t want to think about them, about the wolves and vampires and seelies who died trying to prevent Valentine from accomplishing his mission with the soul sword. He has enough loss to weigh his heart.

“You don’t have to talk about it,” says Alec, still so gentle. “It’s probably not something you want to dwell on… You’ve been sleeping for a few hours; for most of the afternoon really.” He pauses a moment, lifts the mug half-heartedly. “I made you some tea. You don’t have to drink it.”

Magnus ducks his gaze, takes the mug in both hands. “Thank you, Alexander,” he utters, glancing back up to him. “I appreciate you being here.”

Alec cants his head softly. “Then why does it feel like you want me to leave?”

Magnus huffs, halfway to amusement. It doesn’t hit right, however. There isn’t a trace of mirth in the exhaled breath. “Alec, I’m not... I’m not used to people staying. I’m just waiting for the day that you... that you decide I’m too difficult to love.”

“Hey,” Alec says, comes forward to set a hand to the small of Magnus’s back. “I said I loved you and I meant it.”

Magnus regards him a moment, ponders this strange, wonderful man in front of him. The simple fact that he had stayed when Magnus expected him to leave is almost overwhelming.

The tea is an unexpected bonus too. Magnus takes an experimental sip, although the aroma is enough for him to know it is caramel. Alec can’t have known that this is Magnus’s idea of pure comfort after a difficult day. He must have told Alec once and forgotten about it.

“Magnus…”

“Thank you,” says Magnus again, realising he has been quiet for too long, “for the tea… but you are under no obligation to be here. I’m sure you have things to be getting on with back at the institute.”

Alec frowns at him, but Magnus is moving now, taking alternating sips of his tea. He moves to the apothecary, sets his mug down on the table so his hands are free to check his journal. He skims through his appointments, disappointed to see he has nothing for weeks.

“Magnus,” Alec says and Magnus glances to see the shadowhunter stood in the doorway. “If you want me to leave, please just ask me. Don’t shut me out without an explanation.”

Magnus shakes his head. “I don’t want you to leave,” he says, allowing himself vulnerability, just for a moment. “I just don’t want you to feel like you need to stay… I’ll be fine on my own. I’ve been fine before.”

Alec presses his lips tight together in thought. He turns his head, warm, orange light hitting his eyes and making them glow. “Sun’s going down,” he says in a quiet observation, his attention coming back to the warlock. “I want to stay, if you’ll have me. You don’t have to be alone anymore…” He pauses a moment, perhaps considering if that was too intimate. “Will you watch the sunset with me?”

Magnus’s eyes narrow and he nods, once and shortly.

Alec leads him out onto the balcony, holds the glass door open for him. Together, they lean against the wall of the balcony, overlooking the city and the bridge and the water that shines like fire under the orange sun. Magnus absently drinks his tea.

They watch as the sun slowly sinks towards the horizon; basking in a comfortable silence as they wait for dusk to fall.

Magnus thinks about how Alec stayed. Without even thinking, the shadowhunter had stayed to watch over him, to make him tea and watch the sunset. It is love in its purest and simplest form. Sometimes Magnus feels cheated by life—by his immortal curse—but he is grateful for it now. All that time, he was heading for this; he just didn’t know it.

Alec is staring at the horizon, a strange look in his eyes. He seems low; sad. It is understandable. He lost many of his fellow shadowhunters in that fight; that fight that Madzie chose to spare him from. Magnus knows he is susceptible to survivor’s guilt. It is simply in his nature.

“Do you ever worry that the sun won’t come back up after it sets at night?”

Magnus blinks through sipping his tea, a soft pinch to his brow as he swallows and places his mug down on the wall of the balcony. “No,” he says gently. “I’ve found it’s one of the only constants in life. The sun may set, but it always rises again… It always comes back.”

Alec looks to him, his eyes soft. The setting sun casts shadows over his face, dark and dramatic, and Magnus thinks to himself that the shadowhunter has never looked more beautiful. Alec might be anxious and self-critical and sometimes a little sad, but he is so much more than a few clouds over his mind.

The relief from him when they had embraced outside the Institute in the aftermath of Valentine’s massacre was enough to show Magnus his truest colours. Alec is protective and honest and his heart is so filled with kindness, such a capacity for love.

“Kiss me,” requests Magnus, turning to him. “Let me show you the sunrise.”

Alec frowns. “I don’t understand.”

“You will.”

Alec drops his hands to Magnus’s waist, a focused furrow to his brow as he pulls the warlock in for a soft, but open-mouthed kiss. Magnus puts his arms around the back of Alec’s neck and reaches out with his magic, allows, for a moment, their minds to join as one.

Hundreds of thousands of sunrises bloom behind closed eyes, skies of pink and orange and purple and blue, the soft pastels of dawn brightened with the scattering rays of the sun. Magnus shows him the dawns of his life, the greatest sunrises of all his days on this earth. It always comes, Magnus thinks fiercely, desperate to soothe Alec’s worrisome mind. The dawn always comes.

The light fades as they break apart, still close enough for Magnus to press their foreheads together.

“Magnus,” Alec breathes out his name and the warlock looks to see his eyes are still closed.

“The sun will always come up,” says Magnus, drops his arms to hold and squeeze Alec’s hands. “I promise you, Alexander… You may have to wait a while every now and then, but the sun will always rise eventually. It is the only true thing in this world.”

Alec shakes his head, his eyes opening. “No,” he says, swallows hard. “Not the only thing…”

A soft smile takes Magnus’s lips and he lifts his head to meet Alec’s kiss, deeper now than before. The final trace of blinding light sinks below the horizon and the sky falls to dusk.

The sun will return, however, and with it will come the light of dawn.

#i have a lot of favourite episodes #but magnus waiting in his apartment being all worried #and alec being so scared for him after the sword #and the love confession #thats the good stuff #shappreciation #5mos #malec #malec fic #magnus bane #alec lightwood #shadowhunters #my fic #there are way too many good episodes!!#this was a good excuse to force myself into finishing this fic though

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madiwritessin · 2 years ago

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Adpting Part 4

Fandom: Shadowhunters

Character/s Included: Alec, Magnus, Reader, Raphael, jace, Clary, Simon, Izzy

Word Count: 1747

Series: Adapting

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4

A/N: Triggering Acts are in the next few chapter (SA)

WARNINGS: VIOLENCE AND MENTIONS OF NONCONSENTIAL SEX

After a few hours at the institute investigating what shadowhunters were calling the ultimate downworlder you were starting to get tired. You got up and walked into the infirmary to get some shut eye but Magnus followed.

“We can go home if you like. We can eat some food and talk before you go to bed.” Magnus said with a smile on his face but concern was present in his eyes.

You nodded before he opened the portal. You walked through it. Once in the apartment you walked to the kitchen grabbing out leftovers from the party and heating them up, Magnus was making your bedroom into practically the most secure place in the world where no one could sense you but smell or heartbeat. You placed the now warm food onto two plates placing them on the table. Magnus joined you soon after.

“They will take some of you energy. You understand that right?”

“Yes Magnus I understand just like I understand that it isn’t my fault it happened and that if someone knocks at the door I need to get to my room as soon as possible”

“What really happened out there last night?”

“How do you know what I told you this morning wasn’t the truth?”

“Cause you’re a good fighter you wouldn’t have been pushed a block away from him, you would have killed every one of them. And he seemed just as confused by you being hurt last night.”

“Raphael ran away he got scared and ran. I was left alone with all the demons. I killed the ones I could see which was a lot and I didn’t have a pull out weapon. Izzy didn’t explain the belt to me. I only guessed it was a weapon because it didn’t really suit it. Once they were dead I have a fair few scratches on me but I had my stele with me and healed myself. I didn’t see the bigger human like demon come towards me but it hit me and my stele fell out of reach and the belt was back on. I was pushed back onto the concrete. I was immobilised and I couldn’t scream cause of the shock or something I don’t know. When I came to Raphael was back and got it off me and he pushed my stele to me and I healed as much as I could but I healed enough to send the sword flying into the demons chest. I passed out after that but it seems Raphael brought me here since I woke up in my bed looking like this.”

They ate the rest of their dinner in silence. You cleaned up your plate before grabbing a blanket out of the linin cupboard and sitting on the couch to watch a movie. About half way through the movie you heard Magnus yelling.

“You were meant to protect her” he was quiet for a few minutes you guessed it was due to whoever responding “No she isn’t okay. She’s injured worse than possible because you were bloody protecting her”

You heard a knock at the door and you raced to your room grabbing your mobile on the way. You decided to message Jace.

“Morning guys” Magnus said rather loudly and since you didn’t hear Alec you guessed he was alone. You moved away from Jace grabbing the coffee pot and putting on the dining table before heading back to the kitchen and grabbing mugs and cutlery. You also grabbed the bacon out of Jace’s hands placing it on the table.

“Jace why are you here?” Alec walked out putting his shirt on and kissed Magnus.

“Um… you snuck out and Iz told me to come find you” Jace said

“You’re lying Jace. Why are you actually here?” Alec sounded more serious this time

“Iz rang my last night telling me Jace was coming over to do training since I can’t do it at the institute and Jace is the perfect training partner for me” You sound confidently sitting at the table.

“Oh okay then well let’s eat so you can train” Magnus said sitting down at the table too.

They eat the bacon and eggs before you and Jace got and ‘train’. Between you throwing punches you both talked.

“You know we need to tell them right?” You asked unsure if he did.

“I know we do but we can’t not until we are 100% sure they won’t have noticeable marlock marks” Jace said holding your hands.

“Then a bit after they are born we tell them.” You looked at him in his eyes.

Jace heads out of the room to grab them both a bottle of water. As he reached her door someone was knocking aggressively against the apartment’s front door. Jace placed the bottle inside your door and whispered, “You’re safe in there and I’ll be right out here someone is here.” He then shut your door.

Magnus opens the door and see as very angry Raphael.

“Out Raphael get out” Magnus yelled.

“Where is she?” Raphael yelled back.

“She’s gone. She couldn’t fight the injuries she received and died on her way back here from the institute” Alec said calmly.

“Now out Raphael.” Magnus said grabbing Alec’s hand.

“I smell more angel blood” Raphael looked around the room.

Jace walked out from the hallway “That would be me you can smell now please do what Magnus said and leave”

Raphael leaves and Jace walks back to your room. He opens the door before closing it again. He sat next to you and quietly said “He’s gone.” You rest your head on his shoulder. He runs his fingers in your hair to calm you down.

After a few minutes you walked out and watched a movie with Alec and Magnus.

*Nine Months Later*

You are sitting on the couch waiting for your family to come over. The babies are in their rockers on the living room floor. Jace had called your family over to meet them finally. Magnus, Alec and Izzy walk straight in they are the only other people who knew where you were and they each had a key to your place. Alec and Magnus sat the furthest from you; each had a worried look on their faces since you had just randomly called them telling them to come over ASAP. Izzy sat next to you and Jace. None of them really noticing the rockers on the floor.

“Meet your niece and nephew Alec and Izzy and your adoptive grandchildren Magnus” You said the last part with a slight giggle. Magnus just stared at you. “This one closest to the books is Addilynn and the one near Jace is Theodore.”

Izzy grabs Theo while Alec grabs Addi. Jace looked at you with a serious look which Magnus had caught. “What else is there?” Magnus said look at you all fatherly.

“I well… hmm…” Jace looked at you for help.

“We decided that if there warlock marks aren’t noticeable that we could… That Jace could become there father.” You said the last part rather quickly.

All three had shocked looks on their faces. Izzy was the first to speck up “I’m sorry I think I heard wrong. Jace will become their father if their Warlock marks are concealable? He will actually claim these two babies as his own two babies”

“Yes I’m going to claim them as my children Iz. Is it so hard to believe?”

This conversation went on until the babies started getting hungry. You took Addilynn off of Alec walking to their bedroom, Izzy following. Izzy started asking questions as they bottle feed the babies.

“How long have you known he wanted to do this? I’m guessing you came up with it, he wouldn’t think of it.” Izzy asked.

“When I asked you to get him when we first found out. He actually offered to, I didn’t ask him. He planned this not me, I wouldn’t ask anyone to do this and certainly not him. He had Clary back then.”

“He’s taking a risk”

“I know. He even said he would marry me if he had to.”

“He’s taking a major risk but at least he’s taking everything very seriously. I’m surprised.”

After feeding the babies they put them down. You grab the baby monitor of the clothes chest near the bedroom door. You slowly close it while Izzy joins the others in the living room. You go into the kitchen and wash the bottles that were just used before starting dinner. Magnus come in about ten minutes later and starts helping make dinner. One of the babies screams through the monitor.

“Jace” You yell.

Jace walks in within seconds putting his arms around you “Yes?”

You point to the baby monitor “One of them is crying.”

“Okay I’m on it” He kisses your cheek before running into the babies’ room.

Alec and Izzy walk in. Alec said “By the angel, he’s acting like a father. What happened to make him like this? We may never know.”

“Just like you wouldn’t have known he walked in here when she called him and put his arms around her waisted and kissed her cheek when he left” Magnus said smiling.

You just walked away and set the table and then walked to Jace who had just got into the hallways. “Magnus saw what you did and told the other.” You said before you two walked out to eat. You all talked about what may happen next.

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k0na-core · 3 years ago

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Alec's Visit (4)- Ninjago OC

Alec held on tight to Niel waist as the motorcycle zipped past every vehicle on the road. Seeing all the tall rock formations blurred because of how fast they were going was almost terrifying. "We're almost there! Good thing the road was clear," Kai said over the headset, "Well, it's going to be a smooth ride either way since not alot of people go to Jamanakai at this time of year," Niel responded. Alec smirked before going close to his ear, his chest touching his backside, "You know... I was hoping for a different type of ride from you," he winked before clicking his tounge. Niel growled at him before blushing and looking away, trying to focus on the road instead, "Dear First Spinjitsu Master, I crave death..." Kai shouted at them from his headset, "Can you fools stop flirting already!? We're on a mission, we can't let anything distract us!" Niel grinned mischievously before exclaiming back in a mocking tone, "Ohh but that's not what happened with Skylor, did it~?" Kai kept silent before increasing his speed. Niel chuckled before catching up to him and being beside his bike. Even though he had his mask on, Kai could still see his smug face, "Ohh, don't be such a wet blanket! Now c'mon, let's stop Miss Demeanor's plan!"

They drove a few more kilometres on full speed, dodging any cars that were in their path before slowly coming to stop right before the entrance of the village. They parked it behind a huge rock, not the best of hiding places but the villains in Ninjago are always blind anyway. Niel and Kai hopped off, "Alec, stay here... I don't want you to get hurt," Niel ordered. His yin only grumbled with a bored look, wishing he could join in on the fun. Kai and Niel swiftly snuck to the side of the village wall and climb up to find the trucks already there. The two watched as a bunch of thugs started to hog up bags full of Vengestone. Kai rolled eyes, "Ugh, Vengestone... This is going to be annoying to fight without powers," Niel looked at him with an annoyed look, knowing full well he doesn't have powers himself. Well, not directly, "Yeahh, talk about it..." Kai turned to him before coming up with a plan. His light lit up before he whispered out, "I got a plan!" Niel shook his head slightly, "Since when do you have a plan?" Kai smiled before explaining his very genius plan, "My plan is... We go down there and kick some butts!" Niel laughed a little before patting his shoulder, "Sounds like a plan! I'm in!"

They jumped down and moved past the scared crowds as they drew their weapons. Kai's sword shining bright in the sunlight. He pulled out his hand and pointed at them as he shouted, "Not so fast!" Niel sighed disappointment while looking away and his arms slumped over in defeat. Alec came up from behind them and said in a monotone voice, "Is that really your catchphrase?" Niel turned to him quickly and said in an upset tone, "Alec, I thought I told you to stay back!" Alec smiled before pulling out a retractable knife from his pocket, "And what? Let you have all the fun?" The thugs started to walk closer to them, bats and other weapons in hand. Kai groaned, "No time to argue, let's get 'em!" The thugs charged at them quickly, almost grabbing Kai by his gi before he jumped up and stepped on one and two thugs, knocking them out. Niel was trying to protect Alec from being huddled with his axe, swinging it left and right with the blunt end.

Alec, out of spite, pushed Niel out of the way and started to swing his knife towards the three thugs they were dealing with. Our of nowhere, a big guy jumped and tackled him from behind. Kai ran up to help after giving a good punch to the jaw of the one who was tackling him. Niel was enraged and grabbed Kai's arm, "Throw me." The red ninja said nothing before picking him up and throwing him. Niel flew right over the guy's head grabbed at his shirt and with all his might, spun around quickly as a vortex of cyan grew around him. He stopped and threw the guy towards a wall, making him go unconscious. Niel landed safely on his feet before exhaling excitedly, "I just did Spinjitsu! I just--" Kai ran up to him and gave him a pat on the back, "Yeah! I saw it! You did really well!" The cyan ninja ran up to Alec who was trying to gather his bearings and picked him up. Niel picked his yin up by the hand, his hands now bruised after giving hard punches to all of the thugs. Alec frowned looking at his Yang's bruised and scratched face. He just took care of him and now he was hurt again. Is this really what he's been doing while he was gone? "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Bruised in anyway o-or--" "I should be the one asking you..."

Kai came out of nowhere, shouting at lovestruck Niel to come help him with tying up the villain, "Yeah! Sorry!" The cyan ninja ran up and helped with the clean up and Alec was told to stay back and wait silently. After a while, the police arrived and thanked Kai and Niel for their help. Niel only chuckled before turning his head around and smiling at Alec, "I wouldn't have done it without a certain future ninja's help," Alec gasped as his Yang stared at him lovingly. The blood and sweat running down frohis face just made him feel something. He shily pointed at himself, shocked at what he said, "M-Me!?" Niel chuckled before winking and turning back around. Kai and Niel helped with the police to tie them up and keeping them down for interrogation for later. The two ninja were awarded with some food before they all gathered and walked back to their bikes. Kai already hopped on on his while Niel was still trying to fix up his gi.

Kai looked at the two before saying,l with a gentle smile, "Future ninja, huh? Sounds fun..." Alec stuttered out in embarrassment, "I-I... Uhh... I don't know if that'll ever happen, to be honest." Kai hummed I response and called over to the others over the intercom, "Guys, we're done in Jamanakai and we got the thugs tied up for interrogation. Who's free so they can get to Jamanakak?" Nya replied back, her voice jittery like she just did a marathon, "They got away! The Vengestone was weakening our powers!" Cole voice sounded through right after, "She ran off! Are you and Niel the only ones who got the catch?" Kai chuckled and crossed his arms, a smug grin displayed on his face, "Yep, all because of Niel and Alec, too!" Jay whined out a complaint before huffing out and sending out an order, "Alright, team. Meet up in Jamanakai!" Kai hopped off of his bike before fixing up his own gi. Niel high-fived Kai and the two just stood there, waiting for the others to arrive. Alec hugged him tightly from behind and mumbled out, "You kicked butt," Kai laughed before ruffling Alec's hair from where he was sitting, "No, we kicked butt!" Alec was a bit surprised with him, "Don't worry about that. Big brother attitude," Niel explained. The trio decided to help a little bit in town while keeping the unconscious thugs in check for when the others come. Finally, they have a lead and all because of Alec's extra help. He was really rpoud of himself, getting used to this fighting thing.

And he kinda liked it...

#ninjago #ninjago oc #ninjago fanart #alec #niel #kai smith #jay walker #nya smith #cole brookstone #skylor chen #Miss Demeanor #sketch #digital #Alec's Visit

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bytheangell · 4 years ago

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I Just Want to Feel Something Today

(A s02e11 inspired fic) (Read on AO3)

“Emotions serve a purpose. You don’t go through what you just went through, witnessing all that death and not feel something, Jace! It’s not good for you! Just feel something. Whether you think it clouds your judgment or not.”

Clary’s words catch Jace by surprise. He expects anger, denial, frustration… and he supposes, in a way, that’s exactly what he gets. Except instead of being aimed at him, those emotions come from Clary on behalf of himself. She’s upset, but she’s upset because he keeps pushing away anything that would make him actually stop and deal with everything that’s happening. She’s not mad at him, but at the way he is thanks to years of careful conditioning to push his emotions aside and lock them away so they aren’t a distraction.

And she’s right. It isn’t that he hasn’t felt anything, it’s that he’s buried every feeling he gets the moment it starts to form. He’s ignored every negative emotion because he hasn’t had time to deal with any of them, and he’s pushed away any remotely positive emotion he’s felt because he doesn’t deserve to feel anything good, not now, not after everything he’s done.

How long has it been since he let himself actually feel something, good or bad, all the way through? He certainly has plenty of emotions to choose from. Plenty of moments and events to focus on.

Not here, though. Not now. There’s still work to be done and plans to be made. He’s done enough damage already that a few more hours of keeping everything neatly tucked away won’t hurt. So he waits until he’s certain Clary is long gone and calls the elevator to face the rest of his day.

---

It isn’t long before Jace finds himself on the rooftop of the Institute, thankful for the solitude it provides him. He hadn’t realized how stifling the walls of the Institute felt until he’s outside of them, breathing in the fresh air, letting the slight breeze run through his hair the closer he walks to the edge of the roof overlooking the city.

It’s easier here, he thinks, to try and let go. This isn’t the first time he’s escaped to the roof to be alone and process things, and he’s sure it won’t be the last. It’s been so long that he wonders if he remembers how to let it all go… no, not go. How to let it all in.

“You’re hurting,” Alec had said as they sparred earlier. And Jace was - he still is. The hurt never stops, not now, not when there’s evidence of the pain he’s caused at every turn. It’s in the stress lines on Alec’s face, in the way the other Shadowhunters won’t meet his gaze, and the way the Downworlders would meet his gaze - but with nothing but hatred in their eyes. The pain is the easiest thing to let himself feel because it’s what he thinks he deserves the most - the disappointment, the anger, the despair.

He feels his chest tighten with emotion, too many to pick apart and name, and does his best to fight the urge to swallow it all back down and walk away, back inside where he can justify putting back on the mask of Being Okay.

Instead, Jace allows his mind to move on to something else he’s been effectively ignoring. Because after the Soul Sword his next biggest problem is Simon and the fact that he’s a Daylighter now, with all signs pointing to Jace’s blood being the catalyst.

Jace feels nothing but dread at the idea of this being true. There was so much going on at the time that he hadn’t considered the possibility that his blood is the reason Simon can walk in the daylight now. If that’s true it doesn’t just put him at risk, it puts Clary at risk, too. And not just from the other vampires but from the Clave. The Clave would hate this revelation. Worse, the clave would fear it, fear the possibility that Nephilim blood could be used to rid the vampires of their biggest weakness. There’s no telling what they’d do to him and Clary if they found out, and that’s a thought that genuinely worries him in a way that not much else does.

“No matter what, your secret’s safe with me. (...) You have nothing to worry about, I got your back.”

Loath as Jace is to admit it, even just to himself, he does trust Simon and believes when Simon swears that he isn’t going to say anything. If it were anyone else Jace would be worried they’d use the knowledge for blackmail later, to hold it over his head as leverage, but it isn’t anyone else. It’s Simon. And yeah, Jace trusts him, for whatever that’s worth.

Somewhere between the jealousy and the nearly dying to save Simon’s life, there’s witty banter and mutual appreciation. Simon has nothing to lose and everything to gain from sharing their secret with the other vampires, but he won’t. Jace thinks of Simon’s attempts to hug him, of casually affectionate touches and warm smiles and the fact that he’s… hell, they’re friends, aren’t they?

Clary stood by him out of perceived sibling loyalty. Izzy and Alec would always do the same. But Simon? Jace has so few people on his side that Simon’s loyalty isn’t something he takes lightly. Surprisingly, the idea of having Simon so resolutely in his corner is such an overwhelming realization that the relief of it brings the first tears to Jace’s eyes. Once they start they don’t stop, especially not as his thoughts turn to Clary.

“What else are you hiding from me?” Jace wishes he could blame Valentine for his fallout with Clary, but he knows that wouldn’t be true. It’s Jace’s fault he didn’t tell Clary sooner - he had plenty of opportunities, plenty of time, but more than that: she deserved to know. He’d just been too scared, too selfish to do it. He said he didn’t want to ruin things with her and Simon but that was just another lie. He wasn’t afraid she’d leave Simon for him once she knew, he was afraid that she wouldn’t. That he could have her now, and she could have him, but she wouldn’t want him the way he still wants her.

Because deep down he’s still just a scared, insecure boy, using that carefully crafted bravado to cover up the truth of what he’s actually afraid of: not being good enough. He knew it couldn’t last forever, but as long as Clary didn’t know she had a choice he could avoid the reality of her not choosing him.

Except now he may have lost her for good, and not just to Simon.

Of course, she doesn’t trust him now. She may never trust him again, and he wouldn’t blame her. He let her down, not for the first time, but arguably the worst time since they met… and that’s saying something, considering everything they’ve been through.

Jace remembers how hurt she looked at the realization that he kept something so important from her, and the tears fall steadily now. He lets that pain in, he lets it mean something. She practically begged him to feel something so it seems only fitting that he feels this the most. Jace closes his eyes against the tears, only to see the image of Clary walking away from him in his mind’s eye. The ache of it knots his stomach, the fear that she may not come back to him, not as a lover or as a friend, is paralyzing.

He lets it in. He feels it, all of it.

The tears continue to fall and Jace continues to feel everything from the past few hours, the past day, the past week. Everything he pushed away. Everything he buried, finally allowed to break through the surface.

Regret. Anger. Relief. Sorrow. Loss. Hope. Fear. Sadness. Love. Pain. Loss.

He feels all of it.

There’s a sound behind him and Jace knows it’s Alec behind him on the rooftop before he ever hears his parabatai speak. He reckons he could take a minute to collect himself and brush this off without Alec pushing it - he already silenced the sobs that shook his entire body only moments before. Another thirty seconds and he could give some bullshit excuse about being upset over Clary and move on to whatever Alec came looking for him to talk about. Alec knows when Jace wants to talk and when he doesn’t, knows when he can push and get something out of Jace and when it was a lost cause. It’s why Alec asked him about the Downworlders and about Clary while they sparred earlier, knowing that Jace needs a side of distraction with his honest conversation. It’s easier to talk between punches, to discuss emotions while simultaneously having a physical release for them.

This? Crying, with no singular reason or cause, just because... just because he tried to face his emotions and became immediately overwhelmed by the weight of it all? He doesn’t do this. They don’t do this. They do eye-rolls and thinly veiled admissions of not being fine - but also not wanting to talk about it - in between hits with a staff. They do brief moments of serious conversation while literally pinned to the ground and unable to escape.

They don’t do falling into each other’s arms in tears... and yet that’s exactly what Jace wants to do right now.

“Jace, you okay?”

No. He isn’t okay, and no amount of sparring is going to fix it this time around. There aren’t enough distractions in the world, which is unfortunate, because they’re about to summon a Greater Demon to the Institute and Jace can’t get his fucking shit together. At least, not on his own. It took Clary’s influence to get him to this point, and he knows what he needs to move further. Maybe not to closure, but to something close.

So he turns around, eyes bloodshot and face streaked with tears, and gives Alec what is probably the most lost, helpless look he’s ever willingly allowed anyone to witness.

Alec doesn’t say he’s sorry, or ask what’s wrong - he simply moves to close the space between them and wraps his arms around Jace, pulling him close. Jace allows himself to be pulled, to be tucked into the firm but gentle embrace of his parabatai.

After a moment Jace tries to pull away, to shrug off Alec’s comfort as the guilt of not deserving it settles again, but Alec holds firm. Jace came up here to be alone, but maybe being alone isn’t what he needs just then. Just like keeping everything bottled up wasn’t what he needed, either. It took Clary to realize that, and it takes Alec’s insistent presence for him to realize that he needs these moments of comfort from his brother that he’d never allow himself otherwise.

They stay this way, silent except for the slowly quieting sobs from Jace until the tears stop completely. Only then does Alec finally loosen his grip around him enough for Jace to pull back.

“Feeling things is overrated,” Jace manages, and the words startle a laugh out of Alec despite the situation.

“Clary?” Alec hazards a guess, not that it’s a difficult conclusion to reach.

“Clary,” Jace confirms. “Among other things.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Alec offers, sounding as uncertain in asking as Jace is in his answer.

“No,” Jace admits. Except he’s starting to realize what he wants isn’t always what he needs.

Jace sighs.

“But maybe I should.”

#jace herondale #alec lightwood #shadowhunters #will I ever stop writing Jace introspection during this re-watch?#i mean eventually yes but not today #elle writes a few deadbeat lines #long post

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uwua3 · 5 years ago

Note

Hello! Can you write something for Muku helping Juza impress his crush? Thank you!

thank you so much for requesting, anon !! i hope to make you proud with this piece ٩( >w< )و suddenly today, i was overcome with a charming concept for this prompt and i am so happy! please enjoy, and if you’d like a continuation, let me know!

summary: the crown prince ascending to the throne would be nothing without his number one advisor

warnings: arranged marriage, classism, disease, dueling, fear of touching, fighting, military, monarchy, parental deaths/issues, swords

author’s note: you know, no one said to do a royal au but here i am! this will be an enemies to lovers prompt, so please enjoy :D have fun, juza loves you !! ♡

word count: 6,220

music: eyes blue like the atlantic, pt. 2 – sista prod, powfu, alec benjamin, & rxseboy

the crown prince and his advisor.

🌻👑🍁🍰 sakisaka muku + hyodo juza

“absolutely not.”

it doesn’t take much for first in line, prince feared across many nations, and legend in the making, hyodo juza, to not cooperate with his royal court

an arranged marriage, was expectedly one of the things that made him incompetent

“ju–chan,” first advisor muku started, ignoring the snickers of the much older men around him at the childhood nickname and juza’s sudden flustered expression, “you would be a fool to not agree to this arrangement.”

“me? the fool?!” juza huffed, his voice on the verge of raising as he narrowed his eyes at his cousin with the sharp threat of a death sentence. muku sighed, knitting his eyebrows together as he patiently tapped his fingers upon the round table

(leave it to his older, much more influential, and wealthier cousin to be incredibly difficult to work with)

“yes, you know akizakura is the rising power this century. they’re challenging societal norms and making every other monarchy uneasy with their progressiveness. you and them together would have a shocking power play over every single nation on this map.”

muku used his feather quill to refer to the aged map laid out, gesturing as if to say “this could all be yours if you played your cards right”. juza was about to fight back, but bit his tongue, nearly slouching in his seat to contemplate before straightening with muku’s pointed glare

(seriously... juza was the older one?)

“i have no desire to be a dictator.” juza finally spat, turning his head away towards the window and closed his eyes. the rest of the court bristled at this bold, unambitious statement but muku solemnly nodded

after all, it was the dying king’s one true goal to conquer all, not juza’s

“if i may say, prince juza, the heir to the throne—”

“i wish to hear nothing about this so called heir. they mean nothing to me.”

silence plagued the court, the somewhat out of touch yet logical advisors sharing disapproving looks of juza’s childish behavior. muku did his best not to roll his eyes at the crowd, instead plastering a neutral expression

it seemed like most of the times, the whole kingdom forgot juza was a child. just a boy suddenly forced to uphold his responsibilities with his father’s slow demise

“shall we reconvene tomorrow?” muku suggested, to which juza nodded. the court quickly went up and left, shooting curious and nosy glances at muku who remained in his seat. when everyone parted ways and the guard by the door confirmed there were no eavesdroppers, muku quietly pushed out his chair and moved to stand by his cousin’s side

for a while, no one said anything. until, juza’s tense posture slumped and he buried his face into his hands, trying his best to keep it all together even with no one to witness his defenses down

“i wish... father wasn’t so ill. i shouldn’t be here, i don’t want to be here.” juza declared, the words muffled by his palms. advisor muku gently placed a hand upon the crown prince’s shoulder, patting it slightly with a sympathetic tone to his words

“i know, i’m sorry. but, you will be a great king for the people of higanbana.”

before juza could ask how he knew for sure, muku just fixed the kingdom’s red spider lily pendant to make sure it was straight. it was the royal family’s heirloom, a universally recognized sign this was the son of a highly respected, pure bloodline

“ju–chan, have i ever led you astray?”

yes, many times, juza thought, reminiscing back on when they were kids. but, he didn’t say any of that, he instead shook his head solemnly

hyodo juza, first in line, prince feared across many nations, legacy in the making, was only eighteen when he would be coronated as king. the youngest king in all of higanbana history, all because his father was dying

and, he needed to secure his ascension through marriage to a complete stranger

but rest assured, muku, number one advisor, cousin to the crown prince, wise beyond all, was surprisingly relentless. becoming the new upcoming king’s right hand man had changed him for the better, preventing him from letting his insecurity and indecisiveness show its true colors

sure, he was still the scared coward who screamed unlike a man and didn’t have the natural class of royalty, but putting on a front was worth it to save juza from losing all support inside and out

the abrupt news that the oldest son of the hyodo family was soon to be hailed as king was, a surprise, to the townsfolk. many who were comfortable and simply used to king hyodo’s reign were not vocally against it, luckily enough. it was more a thing to gossip about than anything, but the royal family never particularly enjoyed the rumor mill

unfortunately, being coronated as a... single king was a pressing matter to all of the people, apparently. no king in history just rose to power without an influential and powerful partner by their side, it would leave vulernability due to the limited allies

especially what would remain of them, considering some kingdoms may break ties with the hyodos since juza and his father were... very different people

so, as said before, muku was relentless. continously insisting that this marriage contract was the best possible option for juza, that no other heir could even come close. juza didn’t want to believe it even if it was true, considering his stubborn nature

it took many, many bribes of tea parties and constant challenging duels for him to admit defeat

it was perhaps a tiring match that afternoon before juza exhaled sharply through his nose, moving to sheath his sword as he waved the white flag. muku, also surprisingly quick and agile on his feet with a weapon, managed to suppress a “told you so” grin at the look of exasperation

“fine, fine! i’m tired of fighting—” juza was not a major fan of dueling whatsoever, even if he was blessed with the physical proportions to do so easily

before muku could jump up in relief, juza sent a stern glare with no malice towards his cousin’s way. the sword hit the sheath, making a loud cutting noise throughout the empty, private training grounds

“but, i want to meet them first. then, i’ll decide to marry or not.”

muku knew this was the best he was going to get, and had the private secretary immediately pen a letter toward’s akizakura. shortly afterwards, a request for the heir to visit was accepted

you were also first in line, an intimidating but just political figure, and also a legend in the making. you were the talk of the town, to say the least

but, you sure didn’t feel like it

you anxiously tapped your foot, feeling seasick from how long this boat journey had already been. you had been invited by the higanbara kingdom to “visit” to “discuss political alliances and ideas to better serve the people”, though anyone with a brain could see straight through that lie

your parents intended on promising you to some eighteen year old hyodo hotshot, someone you’ve never even met!

at first, you were extremely demanding for them to consider changing their minds, that you didn’t need... a man... to help you rule the world. men would only hold you back, they’d do nothing good for you, anyways!

but, you knew the future of akizakura was in your hands. your parents were strong, but slowly, their old age would catch up to them and they needed to protect the famly legacy. you were the next expected heir, considering how active you’ve been in the government since you could read and write

though, no one exactly stated a marriage contract came along with power

you didn’t exactly know what higanbara looked like, but you’ve heard... rumors, about the family that ruled it all. the hyodos were an imposing force, spreading their control far and wide with unfathomable military power and merciless tactics

you couldn’t imagine what the crown prince was like. how, barbaric, he must be. must’ve been an inhumane and unreasonable fighter that took everyones’ heads with him

lucky for you, you were a trained fighter as well who would never let a man even have a sliver of control over your dead body

“your royal highness, we are here in higanbara.” the captain announced, followed by the sound of the ship’s horn. thank the gods, or you might have swam there yourself considering how rocky sea travels were

fixing your appearance, you masked your face in a stone cold expression, showing you were all business without the supervision of your parents. you were your own person, you didn’t need to be ordered around by some man

as the ship reached port, you noticed a set of figures at the foggy dock. higanbara was... dismal. it was all shades of grey, like there was no life. the oceans were a glittering silver, as if there were thousands of treasures waiting to be discovered. and at the port, was a sight to behold

you stepped onto the creaky wood cautiously, looking around before you noticed a stoic face peering down at you. perhaps a beat too late from how much he was staring, he then offered his hand without ever saying a word

you ignored it, knowing you didn’t need it at all. but from the looks of it, they were calloused, scarred, large. hands of a warrior—his eyebrows rose slightly in surprise at your blatant rejection. before he could speak, you heard someone else introduce the kingdom

“your royal highness, welcome to higanbara!” you heard a gentle, but enthusiastic, voice from behind the tall man who helped you on land. you turned to see a rather short, pink–haired royal with a shaky but elegant smile. you couldn’t help but smile at the boy

(you didn’t notice juza’s subconcscious quirk of his lips at your guard coming down, before he looked away with his ears red and mind confused. why did he do that?)

“thank you...?” you trailed off, awaiting an introduction before the pink royal dropped into a hurried but somewhat graceful bow, coming up with a surprise rose. you had no idea where it came from, causing you to let out a surprised laugh. higanbara was filled with many surprises, apparently

“i am his royal highness’ first advisor, sakisaka muku, it is a pleasure.” muku smiled pleasantly, but you noticed his eyes lingered on the way you stood oddly close with the crown prince

you tried to step back casually as if there was nothing wrong, but you almost stumbled off the edge of the dock. unluckily, juza was fast and immediately wrapped his arm around your waist, keeping you close as he froze under the sudden attention at your close proximity

“let go.” you demanded and your tone was ice cold like the waters

“please... be careful—” juza mumbled, his grip strong before you pushed him off, scowling with a sharp glare his way

“let go!” you yelled, drawing attention as you glared daggers at higanbara’s crown prince. you couldn’t believe it, did all men just think they could grip you like that? as if you needed help?!

“do not touch me, i did not give you permission.” you cursed, shocking nearly everyone as you brushed off your clothes. juza blinked, taken back before he frowned, his eyebrows furrowed

“but, if i hadn’t, you would’ve fell into the water—”

“then, let me fall! i can swim!”

when you met his eyes, he was very clearly frustrated. the awe of meeting you had worn off, and juza was certain he’d make an enemy out of your stubborn pride and rude attitude right off the bat

muku intervened, laughing awkwardly as if a newcomer didn’t just yell at higanbara’s crown prince. stepping between you two, he seemed to communicate something with his eyes to juza who suppressed the need to storm off

“i am first in line, crown prince hyodo juza. a... pleasure.” juza faltered, his tone superficial and void of any genuine pleasure. he bowed anyways, his back rigid and yellow eyes analyzing your every move. he must’ve been a battle tactician with how observant he was

you didn’t do anything back, just crossed your arms and averted your eyes. “i know who you are, you know who i am. can we move on?”

juza was about to impulsively snap back before muku agreed, staying between you two despite the common courtesy of trailing behind royalty. the guards set at the port parted on command, yelling back “yes sir!” at juza’s order to march back to the castle

was this a power move? to intimidate you and make you go in shock over juza’s military background? two could play at this game

you stood taller, ignoring his gaze as you hurried forward, not wanting to be beside the man who just randomly touched you without your consent. not to mention, the audacity to linger! how inappropiate!

juza stared after you, and looked over his shoulder towards muku, visually confused over how offstandish you were

muku just sighed. this was going to be a long, long two weeks of akizakura’s ascending heir in higanbara

it was an understatement to say you and juza got off on the wrong foot. you never allowed just anyone to touch you randomly out of no where. you weren’t some clumsy person in distress, you were a leading figure in your kingdom, for goodness sake! you easily could’ve fixed your footing, stood back up straight, and moved on

juza was rather peeved at your reaction. you didn’t even take his hand like a polite royal would! didn’t thank for him for saving you from the ocean and had the audacity to curse him out like he was some commoner in front of his own troops. juza felt embarrassed from how low he was treated, you had no respect for him or higanbara

muku, was tired. when other nobles whispered about how out of the ordinary and eccentric you were and how strange akizakura’s customs were, he didn’t expect having to save his crown prince from a near beating

you had guts and nerve, just like juza. maybe, you two had more than meets the eye, but unfortunately, both people were stubborn, prideful, and arrogant privileged kids who didn’t want to see the other side

so throughout the first half of your stay, muku felt more like a babysitter than an advisor. it took everything in his power to keep you two from physically fighting each other in front of the royal circle

you two seemed to disagree on everything. while you were an “all or nothing” type of pefson, who went extreme on every suggestion you had and was willing to risk everything for a better future, juza was... the opposite

unlike his bold and brash father who would’ve gotten along just fine with you, juza wanted new change. he was always playing the devil advocate, pointing out flaws you hadn’t taken account for before. but, he was hesitant, wanting to take it slow, and ease into the plan than go head first

it made both your tactics and strategies clash and nothing was getting done. but muku, wise and relentless muku, knew it was more than just childish arguments at the round table. it was the slowly building tension between you two ever since that one bad first impression

and perhaps, the intense pressure from both sides to accept this arranged marriage for the sake of both kingdoms. it was too much on teens savoring their last few years of youth

and just like before, muku knew what needed to happen in order for someone (most likely juza) to give up their defenses and say something

you elegantly strode into the training grounds early in the morning, holding the first advisor’s personal note in your hand as you looked around. you were scheduled to meet muku, in a neutral place to get the overview of today’s meeting without juza’s involvement

or, so you thought

you heard a scuff of shoes and a quick “damn, sakisaka” behind you. whipping around, you came face to face with a sleepy juza, who’s eyes immediately widened and took a few steps back. it seemed like you caught him off guard, and he held a similar note in his hand as well

it didn’t take a genius to figure out what muku had done, as you huffed and placed your hands on your hips. juza straightened his posture and looked down at you, expressing that he wished he could be anywhere but with you

“hyodo—” you started, to which juza pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “that’s my father, i’m juza.” you continued anyways, ignoring his sharp pointed look

“are you here to fight with me again? perhaps, make a fool of me again?” you accused, pointing a finger at his chest as seethed. juza rolled his eyes, visibily frustrated as he threw his hands up, planning his escape already

“i have no business with you here. i will depart now.” juza forced out in a neutral tone, as if you two hadn’t been at each other’s throats the past week. before juza could spin on his heel and take his leave, you grabbed a sword near by and the sound of it leaving its sheath made him stop in his tracks

“you. me. right now.” you demanded and juza let out a humorless laugh. you were in over your head if you could think you could beat a hyodo at a duel. looking at the sky, he noticed it would be quite a bit of time until the official start of his day as crown prince. maybe, he could spare a bit of time

“at your service, your royal highness.” juza mocked, obnoxiously bowing that made your eye twitch at how insufferable he was

“take your pick. regardless, you’ll lose by my hand.”

juza chose his normal practice sword, the hilt engraved with his name and bore the spider design of the red lily. it had the grandeur of being a ceremonial sword, which you scoffed at. ugh, rich kids

you took the one closest to you and juza expected you two would walk to the middle, circle each other to see who would make the first move. he should’ve known you weren’t exactly the waiting type, because the moment he stepped into the ring, you hit first

luckily, juza whipped his sword up and the metal clashed with yours, the sound echoing in the courtyard. that was the start of the longest duel juza’s ever had

used to muku’s dexterity, juza had to find out the hard way you were much more of a strength fighter. you took him by surprise most times, with forceful and somewhat vengeful attacks. yet, juza was a formidable opponent. he had learned from the best after all, and this was one of the few duels he had the goal to try at

you smirked when juza nearly lost his footing, not reaching out to catch him by any means and holding your hands up. “see, i respect people’s private space and don’t touch them without permission.”

juza swung back with much more force than normal, which you hurriedly parried. the contact of metal rang in your ears as juza gained the upper hand, looming over you with distaste

“you would’ve drowned if i let you fall!”

“you knew i didn’t take your hand for a reason, i refuse to let a man touch me!”

you pushed back but he was like a rock, unmoving and resilient. he seemed to contemplate something before putting his sword down, nearly sheathing it before stopping, making sure to meet your eye

“i’m sorry.”

you blinked, taken back. was that an apology? from a hyodo?

“i understand you have your reasonings to hate physical contact, and i respect that. by no means did i mean to make you uncomfortable.” juza explained, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders as he finally found a time to apologize properly

“i wouldn’t have touched you unless i knew it was for your own safety, i’m sorry.” juza finished and you thought about it, before putting your own sword down with a heavy sigh

“i’m... also sorry. i knew you had good intentions, but i blew up because...” you seemed to think some more before exhaling. “i don’t need a man to save me, don’t think i need you or anything. i’m a perfectly capable, independent person.”

juza related to how your pride blinded your anger, and nodded. you two seemed to reach a mutual understanding and juza ducked his head, lowering it so it’d be easier to talk to you away from the castle that was waking up

“i did not mean to insult your character. i’m sure you are a whole person who does not need saving, it was not my intention.”

without another word, you moved past him, acting as if you were going to put your weapon away. instead, you quickly knocked his sword out of his loose hands, smiling innocently as if nothing happened

“i believe i win.”

“a dirty play, mind you.”

“a win is a win.”

“a victory is nothing if not honorable.”

you looked over your shoulder with a curious look, as if you were really seeing juza for the first time. you expected a burly man who would burn down nations just for a taste of godhood. instead, he seemed humble, unlike a hyodo

“hyodo—”

“i’m not my father, i am juza.” juza repeated again, without the usual bite, and you suddenly understood why juza taking the throne was big news. he was nothing like his father, this would be the ushering of a new age

hopefully, a golden age

“juza,” you said for the first time and for once, he presented a close–lipped smile that seemed void of royal duties. “i look forward to dueling you again.”

“as do i.”

“do not expect to win.”

(first advisor muku held in his squeals on the balcony adjacent to the training grounds. he typically liked to sneak up there to read and prepare for the day, but he was hiding this time to eavesdrop. looks like his plan worked!)

(when juza looked up to meet his eyes, he looked as if he knew all this time. muku nervously smiled and waved slowly, to juza’s hidden relief that he made progress)

(but... why was he so happy to see you weren’t holding a grudge against him anymore? did your opinion truly mean that much?)

the round table was much more, productive. muku liked to take credit for the riveting debates that replaced the senseless arguments, finding that both you and juza had similar goals at the end of the day, just different tactics

although there were still some very inappropiate comments here and there by your mouth, it didn’t seem personal anymore. it was clear to the court that you were intelligent, bright, and offered new perspective that no one else considered. they all knew akizakura was a force not to be reckoned with

by then, a week had passed, and it was time for the welcoming ball!

you would be introduced to the rest of the castle through a rather lame excuse to party. you knew what all of the glamarous charades and rich pleasantries were really all about, to assess if akizakura was worthy of taking their beloved crown prince’s hand. you could’ve laughed, because that was a major joke

you didn’t need to do anything, you knew you already were above and beyond what they expected. so that night as you insisted on preparing your appearance alone, you were slightly annoyed to hear a knock on your guest chambers

“go away! i said—”

“your royal highness, this is crown prince juza’s first advisor, sakisaka muku.”

you paused, looking away from the mirror and relented, letting him come in. when muku silently stepped inside and closed the door gently, he bowed with newfound confidence and sent you an easy smile that made you feel at ease

you understood why juza would want muku around, he didn’t seem like that dependable of a guy, but he was a good person through and through

“sakisaka, i remember you. you were the one who misled me to duel juza.” you said, giving him an once over before fixing your hair, staring back into the mirror. out of the corner of your eye, you noticed muku blush and he resorted to laughing awkwardly unprompted

“ah... yes—”

“and you were the one hiding in the balcony, correct?”

muku’s eyes widened, how did he get caught?! he thought only juza noticed. it was no wonder how you were such an equal match to higanbara’s crown prince, you had the same strengths and few weaknesses

“please, you do not give me enough credit.” you hummed in response, standing up and approving your final look of the day. you would wear akizakura’s kingdom colors, with the crest pinned. it would leave no question who you represented and where your loyalties lied

muku rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a breathy “haha” as the silence overcame. you slipped your kingdom ring on, watching it glint in the subtle candle light

“though, i must thank you, shouldn’t i?” you spoke in rhetorics often, muku realized. he waited for you to continue and you did, busying yourself with cleaning up your station. you had no need of maids even if you respected the profession

“without you, i wouldn’t have gotten an apology out of him. now, we’re...” you trailed off, unsure on how to finish that statement. muku hid his teasing smile, masking it as something innocent as he gratefully bowed his head, his white–gloved hand over his heart

“friends?”

you didn’t answer, instead standing tall and turning to completely face muku. he didn’t look you in the eye, but he too increased his height as if to match your authority. he was admirable for at least trying

“i must say, first advisor, juza is most fortunate to have you clean up his messes.” you half–joked, and muku nodded, agreeing seriously even if it was in jest

“however, i can promise you this. if you must contact me, do not trick me. i will not be as merciful.”

a shiver ran down muku’s spine. you truly were next in line of ruthless akizakura. but, it was a sign of respect, nonetheless. everyone was fully aware of how outstanding and remarkable you were to be the voice of the new generation

“understood, your highness. i did not come to deceit you, only to greet my cousin when he arrives.”

you tilted your head. this was news—no one could exactly tell muku and juza were cousins. really? the same bloodline?

“are you serious?”

“we get that reaction a lot.” you heard juza’s voice behind the door and you subconsciously broke your stern expression, rolling your eyes as you crossed your arms. muku noticed your shoulders dropped ever so slightly, you must’ve been comfortable around juza, then

“come in already, don’t be a creep.” you called out and juza stepped inside, stopping at the sight of you. instantly, his cheeks became flushed and he seemed like he was about to do something incredibly stupid (which he did, amused muku did not stop him)

“you—um, you, you look... nice.”

nice? you looked absolutely amazing, you already knew that. you were going to be the best dressed in the entire ballroom, that’s for sure

(but, for some reason, you were disappointed. nice? was that all you were to him? wait—why did you care?! a man’s validation of your appearance was the last thing you needed)

muku was this close to intervening before you huffed, patting down your outfit. “do i suddenly have value because i look nice?” you air–quoted “nice” and juza got even redder, looking away as if to save his dignity

“no, no. your worth isn’t based on your looks.” juza reassured and you knew he meant it. you relaxed a bit, thankful juza didn’t have the same intentions as every royal noble out there ever. muku’s eyes bounced back from you and juza continously, picking up on the signs with increasing interest

he had never seen juza slip up this much around someone before... could it be? did he actually like you now?

“look at the time! i must go help with the preparations, come down soon.” muku lied, which juza caught on fairly quickly. before he could call muku to come back, the young advisor sliped out of the chambers and ran to the main event. he succeeded in leaving you and juza alone

an uncomfortable silence set over both of you as juza examined your room out of curiousity, and you tapped your foot. you were confused, what was this feeling inside your chest? why were you suddenly so nervous?

if you were confused, you didn’t let it show on your face. instead, juza offered his arm, holding it out to you with no threat at all as he gestured his chin towards the ballroom

“would you do me the honor of letting me escort you to the ball?”

you stared at his arm, the arm you noticed was slightly shaking, whether from nerves or holding it out too long, who knew. as much as you hated to admit it, you wouldn’t want any other person escorting you

with a turn of events, you took juza’s arm and felt it tense before relaxing, giving you a chance to let go any time. he put on a rare smile, and you liked how his yellow eyes crinkled at the corners when he did

“thank you.” for trusting me, for changing your opinion about me, for giving me a chance even if i don’t deserve it, juza thought, but it was all unsaid

“sure.” you responded, but you smiled, too. it was the first time you had given him such a genuine smile, that he couldn’t help but do the same

you two moved to stand at the top of the stairs, awaiting the announcement of both your names. in the mean time, you realized juza wasn’t the hyodo you thought he was

as he escorted you down the stairs, with everyone’s eyes on you two, you two were the splitting image of graceful and threatening intimidation and power. but, it didn’t feel like that. instead, it was just you and juza, a crown prince who had a nasty temper and natural hand at sword dueling

the ball seemed to last a lifetime. so many unnecessary introductions which you put a front on. social interaction was draining, it was becoming a difficult task to shake everyone’s hands and pretended like you cared about rich people problems

so, like every celebration ever, you escaped the main event and stepped into the hyodo rose garden. mostly hues of orange, you noticed the eternal autumn that hung over the kingdom. oranges and reds entranced you as you sat at the edge of the water fountain in the middle, the constant stream distracting you from the background party noise

(��where are they?” juza asked, pulling wallflower muku aside who mainly stood by the buffet table to hide extra sweets for his cousin. muku smiled, his eyes sliding in the direction of the rose garden as juza caught on. though, juza seemed hesitant, like he was worried if he should go or not)

(“do not be a fool, ju–chan. what other time will you have to confess?” muku asked and juza nearly choked on his champagne glass, shooting a wide–eyed look at his cousin. it was as if he was asking how did he know?)

(“this is your first crush, isn’t it? luckily, the person you intend on marrying.” muku lightheartedly jested, to which juza bumped his shoulder into his slightly. “like i said, do not be a fool, ju–chan. go.”)

(juza contemplated it before nodding, slipping out of mind and out of sight. muku proudly raised his glass after him, as if to say congratulations. all that gossip with the town cupid paid off for muku, his crown prince would be hopelessly pining without him)

(all he needed to do was one last thing. first advisor made his way towards the orchestra, about to request a song)

you watched the moonlight for quite a time before you heard a rustle of leaves towards the entrance, turning your head to see juza. juza, in his orange and black uniform and red spider lily pendant. juza looked dashing beneath the stars, as he waited for you to invite him

you moved aside and juza sat down at a safe distance, stargazing along with you. the silence was comfortable, this time around. it was filled with glasses clinking together, the everpresent buzz of crickets, and flow of the water fountain

unlike your initial thoughts, you didn’t exactly mind higanbara as much as you thought you would

“the ball, is a bit much.” juza admitted, to which you agreed. “tell me about it, i don’t know how you lasted that long.” you said lightheartedly, but it seemed to make juza think as he leaned back, balancing himself by stretching his hands out on the rim of the fountain

“i... i don’t like balls, really. my father always liked them, he was the life of the party.” you noticed juza used the past tense even if his father was still alive, but you knew not for long

“he was also, born to be king. could command a whole army without fail, delivered inspiring speeches that could get the whole town riled up, was the face of his kingdom. now...”

“it’s you.”

juza nodded, as if accepting this fact for the first time. it was as clear as the full moon that night—juza was afraid he could never live up to the legacy his father would soon leave behind

“i don’t want to be king.” juza confessed in a whisper, like it could change anything. you wanted to be a monarch, but you understood juza’s struggles. he must’ve missed out on a normal childhood, like every other person born into nobility

“but, i care for the people of higanbana. i will do my best to make them proud, and to continue the legacy of this kingdom.” juza continued, clenching his fists as he did so. you turned your head to see he looked lighter, like it was something weighing him down ever since he found out

“you’ll be a good king. i have seen your plans, and you are unlike your father. you will be better.”

juza turned to stare into your eyes, searching for any sign of lies. you were telling the truth, and you were shocked at how honest you just were. but, you believed it. you believed in juza and his legacy, the incoming new golden age would arrive

“thank you, i—your people are lucky to have you.” juza said, but he seemed distant. before he could lean in, you heard the soft playing of the orchestra from far, far away

this time, you stood up and offered your hand. unlike last time however, juza accepted your hand and it was true. both your hands were calloused, scarred, large. so the two warriors wordlessly slow danced under the moonlight in the rose garden to their new favorite song

that night, juza may have not said it out loud, but both of you were too observant and smart for your own good. as he walked you to your chambers, you were the one who leaned in this time

“is this a dirty play?” you teased, inches away from his lips. juza gulped as he admired your face illuminated by the lanterns

“a win is a win.”

it was all fair, in the game of love

your two weeks had passed. it was time for you to go home, back to akizakura to make your final decision of whether to marry a hyodo or not

you let juza help you into the boat even if you didn’t need it, and said goodbye to the grey higanbana and it’s forever autumn. there was no one around since juza requested a private departure, so you let yourself smile at him

“will i see you again?” juza asked the question that had been weighing on his mind ever since that night in the rose garden. you were on the ship, but didn’t let go of his hand

“do not be a fool, juza,” you started roughly, and juza could feel his heart drop. was this the end? he didn’t want this to be the last time, he liked you

“next time, you’ll go to akizakura. there, we can duel.”

“and i’ll win.” juza confirmed and you let go, fondly rolling your eyes. as the ship departed, you suddenly rushed to the edge, cupping your hands around your mouth

“tell sakisaka i said thank you!”

of course, you found out about everything. juza just nodded and waved, watching you disappear into the horizon

juza would await your invitation to akizakura as he practiced his dueling skills with a certain matchmaker named sakisaka muku

#hyodo juza #juza hyodo #sakisaka muku #muku sakisaka #a3! act! addict! actors!#a3!#a3! actor training game #a3! headcanons #act! addict! actors! headcanons #mankai a3!#mankai company #a3! x reader #a3 x reader #juza x reader #a3! juza #a3 juza

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im-out-of-it · 1 month ago

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part 26 of season 3, episode 11 continued “lost souls”

150. I feel so much for Magnus. he doesn’t like being saved because he’s used to taking care of everyone else. I don’t like others helping me so I can only imagine how much Magnus is hurting at this moment. he doesn’t seem to be the type to ask for help if he needed it either (beautiful gifs by knightofsteles)

151. all the legends are true •each Saia scene I watch from this point on, it just makes me sad because I know they’ll be ending for no fucking reason

152. STOP TORTURING MAGNUS IM HIS ADVOCATE AND I SAY NO MORE (don’t make me grab my swords)

153. Alec has gotten really good at this being supportive thing. but Alec has always been good at it in my opinion. it’s just the writing that fails alec as we get denied full Malec supportive scenes (wonderful gifs by milkeas)

154. I’m just saying that if we got a little more screen time with Malec and stretched out their discussions a little more, it could have paid off a whole lot better in the long run

155. Magnus is so down on himself and doesn’t see power as not having any magic. it’s vastly sad seeing Magnus in this state but it’s also well received. I love seeing Magnus be vulnerable

156. Magnus just got tortured and he’s like again, is that all you got?

157. I can’t remember what happens in the next episode except for the training but I still think jace deserved a longer and harsher lashing than the one he received by Alec. I’m tired of everyone walking on eggshells around him. if I saw my partner being hurt in his new no magic era, I’d have some shit to say especially if my so called bestie is throwing fits and trying to die

158. this is a new vulnerable side we get to see of Magnus and as much as sad Magnus makes me well sad, it’s very interesting to see. Harry is so wonderful at the dramatic storylines (as is Matt, both are under my underrated actors who deserve more parts list) and he excelled at these scenes. I just think they could’ve done more with them. I’m more fascinated to see how Magnus is really doing and watching his mask go down as he gets more comfortable with Alec and opens up

159. this is also new territory for Magnus. something we didn’t get to see a lot of before was Alec taking care of Magnus after he used up too much of his magic. I think people forget that warlocks even ones as powerful as Magnus do have limits. they can’t just use a bunch of powerful magic and still be fine. so having Alec see this other side of Magnus that he doesn’t get to see must be a little frustrating and nerve wrecking for Alec. but I hope Alec is still making steak and martinis for Magnus to heal him 🙏

I’m sure he doesn’t know how to go through these barriers Magnus puts up at first. it probably makes Alec feel sad and a tad guilty that Magnus doesn’t have magic anymore so he is doing all he can in making Magnus feel content and secure in his new routine/life. Alec isn’t used to taking care of Magnus or maybe in a way not recognizing that Magnus is okay at first. Magnus is so good at placing walls up but Alec seems to be more comfortable in recognizing those walls in season three and figuring out how to get passed them. season three Malec is definitely different from two because they have grown and have different types of obstacles thrown their way. it’s very interesting to kind of dissect those changes

GIF CREDITS FOR PART TWENTY SIX:

gif by knightofsteles

gif by elivanto

gif by thesorrowoflizzards

gif by milkeas

gif by wormsound

gif by magnusfairchilds

I’m stopping at 160 for today but I’ll be back tomorrow for more 🐍 (snakes scare the fuck out of me but I do like what they represent, I don’t know I’m weird sorry- no I’m not)

#just my stupid opinions #show alec is superior #show magnus is superior #show malec is superior #shadowhunter show is superior #putting anti cc on all my posts so book fans don’t come here hating thanks #marking this as 3x11 #its a new side of Magnus #and I’m sure Alec is struggling too even if we don’t see it #STOP TORTURING MY MAN IMMA GRAB MY SWORDS

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vampiresuns · 4 years ago

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A Songbird Sings, The World Could End | Part 2

✴︎ A SONGBIRD SINGS, THE WORLD COULD END: PART 2 ✴︎

2.3k words. Now in the Magical Realms, Leon and Anatole decide to work together trying to keep the Hierophant’s realm standing for as long as possible. Leon is upset at their own feelings, and the Hierophant reads him for filth.

Leon (He/They) is @apprenticealec‘s. This fic is best paired with Honest, by Joseph.

You can read Part 1 here.

Leon had air magic.

Leon could cross distances quicker than the average person, if they so desired. It happened to be that he desired such a thing now — in a game of miscalculations, neither Anatole nor him aligned their timing, emotionally overwhelmed and with their own priorities in mind.

When Anatole spoke to him, something old and angry had snapped in Leon, there to tell him Anatole was just like everybody else, sitting on his high horse with his duty, eventually leaving him alone for reasons which just didn’t make sense. Rage in Leon was vast, more accessible than grief, and for a moment it terrified him. It terrified him to see himself give Anatole, his Anatole, the cold shoulder, even if another part of him thought he deserved it.

Yet there was another part of him, a part tender and open, starved for Anatole’s presence, following him like religious people in Vesuvia followed the various chimes of the City’s many temples. It was the part of him that had made him go after him that night Camia had gone to the market, travelling all day to drop himself at his door. It was the part of him that had cried and crumbled in front of him, because he knew he would listen. Anatole never said a word he didn’t mean, Anatole never did anything half-way.

It was the part of him who touched him under the starry nights in Camia’s hut, trying to commend the shape of his face to memory — the softness of his lips, the slope of his nose, the light change of texture in his scars. The way his cheeks filled when he smiled, or the way his throat vibrated when he laughed. That part of him, against all odds, rose against the other and said: “You’re wrong. He loves me, and if the world ends, there will be no world for him to love me in.”

It was just as paralysing, albeit in a completely different way. He was still angry at Anatole. He was still upset he didn’t tell him any of this before, or that he assumed so many things about Leon’s own feelings — granted, Leon hadn’t said anything too, but that didn’t mean Anatole could just assume when Leon had done all those things, when he had given himself so willingly. This specific source of terror came from losing him, and the horror that followed as they stood in an empty hallway, thinking they might have lost him anyway. It propelled Leon forward like he was fighting for his life. He couldn’t let Anatole think he didn’t care. Leon knew they would not be able to live with themselves if that happened.

Leon did not know what the hell Anatole saw in Vesuvia, or in any City, ever. They were all people just trying to survive, with their momentary distractions, and Leon doubted they stopped a second of their days to actually consider Anatole at all. He couldn’t even say Anatole did it in some sort of saviour-complex stunt, because it would be both wrong and offensive to Anatole as a person.

He didn’t understand; right then he was feeling too much to keep track of his thoughts, but even in this overwhelming fog he found himself in, he realised that even if he was right, and Anatole was insignificant (even if thinking it felt wrong), he would not forgive himself for becoming a reason why he felt that way. He would hate Anatole thinking he didn’t deserve all the love in the world, thinking that it is wrong of him to care. Even if Leon sometimes thought he cared too much about things Leon did not comprehend.

The realisation that he loved him too much to not do this, all of it, with him, that pulled Leon forward. It was Anatole’s voice in his ears saying that the point of having a future was to live it with Leon. It was that Leon not understanding why he hoped and dreamt what he did, deep down those hopes and dreams weren’t stupid to Leon, because they were Anatole’s. Leon could forgive the world, maybe, because Anatole existed in it.

That’s how he ended sitting on Anatole’s stomach after throwing the two of them into his gate, the gush of wind from his own magic shutting the door behind them, making the gate inaccessible without Anatole to open it from outside.

Anatole thrashed underneath him, and Leon moved as soon as he realised that he couldn’t breathe.

Not far away from them, Fishraya gently flew closer to the ground so she could let Antu down safely. It was the first time he did not puff and hissed at her. It wasn’t nothing Fishraya had done to make Antu on edge near her, he had always been scared of Fish’s size. He tended to be scared of things which were bigger than him and could grab him from above without giving him a chance to fight back.

“Why did you do that?”

“You gave me no choice!”

“What the hell are you talking about, Leon?”

“Well, arguing you isn’t getting me anywhere — don’t groan at me that way, I’m still upset at you —”

The sound of disbelief and indignation that escaped Antole’s mouth would’ve made Leon laugh in any other circumstance. “Upset?!”

“Please just let me say this, Nana,” the plea in Leon’s voice was so tangible, Anatole couldn’t do anything but to let him speak.

“I don’t understand you. Sometimes I think I do, but then I realise that I don’t. I don’t understand what it is about your job, your place in society or whatever else you call it that makes you do these things. I don’t because I never had anything like that, and sometimes I think we are so different we’re not going to work out…” Leon paused, a knot in his throat as he came closer to Anatole, his hands resting on his face. He tensed, but he didn’t push Leon away.

“Please tell me there’s a but there. I can’t handle collapsing realms and emotional overcharge.”

“If you have to do this, then take me with you. I don’t understand why you’re doing this, but I know it’s important to you.”

“You can’t just say those things and—”

“Yes, yes I can.”

“You’re terrible. You’re being terrible right now.”

“Why, thank you.”

Anatole shook his head. “I think I hated arguing with you, even if the conversation will have to wait.”

There was a rumble from the forest behind them that pried Anatole away from Leon’s touch.

“I don’t think we have time to go retrieve my family.”

“I wouldn’t risk it either.”

“It’s just you and me, then?

Leon paused, turning to Anatole’s direction, and smirking.

“Just us, we’ll make it work. What direction is the Hierophant’s realm?”

“East.”

Fishraya was already onto Leon’s train of thought, carrying Antu into that direction, as her magician took Anatole’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “Have you ever felt what it’s like to run with the help of air magic?”

“No?”

“Well, you’re about to find out.”

✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎

Anatole had never seen The Hierophant’s temple so desolated. The old Ram was waiting for them, surprise overtaking his features as he saw Anatole arrive alone with Leon.

“I was expecting a bigger entourange.”

“A mishap,” Anatole said.

The Hierophant simply took a drink from his glass of wine, smiling. “Lovers' quarrels are easily resolved with a common cause. Welcome to my realm, Leon, or whatever is left of it.”

The Hierophant excused himself — he suspected he couldn’t help them much to slow the process of decay, as he needed to concentrate the remains of his power in aiding Alec and Lucio, but if he was not needed, he would turn to aid them. It would be only Leon and Anatole, they’d have to be enough, the weight of it making both of them feel like their skin was being pricked by something invisible. Anatole hated the sensation, but powered through it: in the face of incommensurable tasks he did what he always did, steel his heels, divide them into chunks, building up strategy until he had a fully formed picture.

He would do the impossible twice, or at least, he would try.

After some awkward lingering he turned to Leon. There was work to be done. The plan was simple: they would use wards. It would at least buy them time to protect the realm from falling. The longer it stood, the longer others would take to be taken, the more time Alec would have.

“Let’s just hope Valdemar themselves doesn’t make an appereance,” Anatole grimanced.

Their wards were different in structure but they’ll have to do. They fractioned the territory, so they would go at it quicker, sometimes the Hierophant coming to them to chat. Breaking Valerius’ chains and his willingness to set things on track gave the Hierophant some of his strength back; a “Not so bad place to start” as the Ram himself said.

“The intention was in the right place. Sometimes you need a little push to turn a situation… upright.”

Anatole ignored the pun with the exasperated fondness only someone who had a close relationship to someone else could have.

However, the Hierophant’s main focus this was on Leon. Except for a couple remarks to Anatole here and there, he followed Leon with his eyes, and struck him in conversation when it did not seem to interfere with his work. For example, when he paused his own tasks to feel Anatole’s magic around them.

“His magic is stronger here. Not the strongest but stronger,” the Hierophant said, sneaking up on Leon. “I assume so it would be in the realm of your patron. May I guess?”

“Sure,” said Leon.

“A knighthood, swords.”

“You already knew.”

“Yet, you entertained me.”

“Why?”

“Why what, child?”

Leon’s brow quirked in amusement. “I am not a kid, am I?”

“Next to me, you are. I am older than you will ever be, even if right now, I could die. You asked why. I asked what reason you seek.”

“Why would it be stronger here or there? I don’t really believe in all of this to begin with.”

The Hierophant laughed. “It’s less about belief, and more about fact. Humanity is cyclic, and as complex as simple as the answer you seek: those of us who come in contact with someone who is loved by our beneficiaries, become partial to them.”

The Hierophant paused, taking some drinks from his glass. Leon stood there in silence, not daring to ask if his love was that obvious. The Hierophant cleared his throat. “That, and he is actually incredibly adept at the magic he himself has chosen, but,” a smile, “pride and true humbleness coexist in him. He’d make a great beneficiary of my own, alas. If you excuse me.”

Leon got back to work, layer after layer of magic, he felt his and Anatole’s merge in a single thing, seamless, welcoming each other home. Leon’s head was swimming with thoughts, but at least their hands were busy.

Home, they thought: was Anatole home? How many homes had they lost? Themselves and him, both. Leon was abandoned, found, abandoned and found, he himself living in a constant wheel of being lost and returning someplace for the sake of some faces.

When words failed him, Leon acted. He didn’t know what Alec was doing with Lucio, he didn’t know what Alec was doing, period, but if he could give her even five more minutes, he would. He didn’t know what Anatole saw in the world to make him so in love with it, but if this would give him a chance to live in it, then he would. He didn’t know how Camia woke up every morning and decided to live on, to carry forward a destiny she had had to fight for, so the people who were called to protect her didn’t take it from her. If he could give Camia one more morning, he would.

He even thought of Jamil, and as much as he still hated how he didn’t say goodbye that one time, for once he thought that maybe goodbye wasn’t needed — it was a see you soon. Alec needed him, as Alec needed Leon now, even if she didn’t know nor remembered. If Leon could give Jamil one more catch up, one more smile upon seeing Camia’s hut in the horizon, he would.

The feeling was disgusting, it disgusted him, and yet he didn’t want anyone to pry it away from his hands ever; if someone tried, he’d bite them.

Maybe this was how Anatole felt, all the time. Maybe it was the reason why he tattooed Love Conquers All on his chest. He groaned; if Anatole made him love the world, he was going to spend the rest of his life making his impossible for it. No, he would not think of the implications of that, of spending the rest of his life besides him.

Damn him for throwing him into things he didn’t understand. Damn him for making him like it.

When he was finally done, he found Anatole already waiting for him, sitting on some steps. Leon sat with him, neither of them saying anything for a moment.

Leon broke the silence first. “What are you thinking about?”

“My family has a vineyard not unlike this one back in Balkovia.”

Leon hummed. Their next words came out of his mouth before he could stop them, let alone make sense of them. “I was born in the Fennekh desert, I think. I don’t know. I used to speak Zadithi. I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”

Silence fell between them again. This time, Anatole broke it, his voice watery as he spoke. “I’m sorry about the way I acted earlier. I shouldn’t have exploded like that on you.”

“You didn’t explode, you just talked,” Leon laced their fingers together, bringing the back of Anatole’s hand to his lips. “That’s what you do when you’re overwhelmed. Or nervous. You talk.”

“Still. Are you still upset with me?”

“Are you?”

He sighed. “I am upset that it all had to be this way. I keep feeling like I could’ve done better, but I didn’t, and now we’re here, and perhaps we would be here anyway. Now answer the question, Leon.”

“I am, but not at what you think.” Leon exhaled, finding that tendril of courage now in his heart, a tendril warm like the rays of the sun on his skin. “It upsets me more that you would assume I don’t love you back, or that you don’t matter to me.”

Leon sighed. “It’s all very mushy and disgusting, but I suppose it’s—“

Anatole’s lips had found his own, and they were kissing him like he was his anchor to this world, with an intensity and a passion so unyielding it made Leon want to melt at the realisation he was its sole depositary. Leon couldn’t finish his sentence, nor he remembered how he wanted to finish it.

Anatole, like him, had a hunger more ravenous than most, a hunger for something undetermined and overwhelming that Leon knew too well.

When Anatole kissed him like this, Leon felt like that hunger might finally satiate. When Anatole kissed him like this, Leon felt like it would all turn out alright, even if somewhere around the edge of the realms, one of their wards had begun to break.

#the arcana #oc x oc #my writing #lucio's route #dani's ocs #leon #aelius anatole #coincidence lovers #alright i've given this two reads to make sure it's alright and correctly edited this time #if i find one typo i will yell

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cosplaydude637 · 4 years ago

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Chapter three: Bird and Thorns

Alec is on his way out of the subway when he is greeted by a familiar face. "Hey Maia." Alec says as he makes his way over to the girl. Maia roberts smiles at Alec and hugs him. Alec returns the hug.

"So why you want to meet?" Mia asksed. Alec looked at her in surprise.

"What are you talking about it was you and Lily that wanted to meet with me?" Alec says as a filling of dread come over him. Now it was Maia turn to look shocked. "No it was you and Lily that sent word for me to meet with you at the old fire station on 13 street. I thought it was strange seeing as Mark Blackthorn runs the alliance now " Alec and Maia exchanged a look of tirri and took of running for the station

As they run Alec muttered some words Maia did not know and his bow and arrow appeared on his back. Mia eyes start to glow green as they round the corner to the station. "I smell something." she says and then her eyes go wide. The 13 street fire station was on fire. Mondanes were running all over the place screaming.

"By the Angel." Alec says. Maia tilts her head to the side like she is trying to hear something. Alec looked at her puzzled how could she hear anything with all the mondanes screaming. "Alec Lily is in there!" she shouts pointing to the station.

"What!" Alec shouts back as he pulls his stele from his pocket. He quickly draws on the fireproof rune and starts running. Maia was at his side keep pace with his shadowhunter speed. "Maia get to the institute tell the others what's going on." Alec order. Maia shout him a cragules look but took towards the subway.

Alec runs into the building, even with this runes on the fire was hot. This was no noral fire Alec thought as he run throw the blinding looking for Lily. He quickly made his way to all the bilding finding no sign of Lily. The only room left was the fire chief office. As Alec mide his way to the room he could hear the fount sound of a girl wimpring. Alec kicks the door open and braces himself for the back draft, but it never came. Inside Alec found a women dressed in blue jeans and a black string top with a long Black jacket. The women head long back hear and red skin with horns on her forehead. This was a warlock one Alec head never seen in the city befour. "My My it took you a long time to get here." she side. "If i did keep that Vamp here she would be dead by now."

Alec in the blink of an eye head drawn a airrow and notched it to his bow and pulled it back ready to fire. "Where is she." Alec demand ponting the arrow at her heart.

"Now Now Mr. Lightwood if I told you that. What would stop you from killing me?" she asks.

"My word i will not kill you if you tell me where lily is." Alec says lowering his bow. Just as he did the female warlock drow a huge longsword form her back and swings it down at Alec. purple flame shouts at Alec goveing him. Alec fire broff rune go's white and he screams out in pain. "I am not going to kill you Alec oh no i have a message for my brother." she says. The flames die down and Alec falls to his knees. "Do tell Dear magnus, Sinira says he..." Sinira starts to say but a dagger grazis her face. Two boys have run up behind Alec and where at his side. The one how throw the dagger was a young teen boy with black hear. He head on shadowhunter gear but he also head headphones around his neck. The other boy was blond and was also wearing gear and a longsword was strapped to his back. On the sword was a H and two birds. This was Ty Blackthorn and Kit Herondale. "See Wotsin I told you." Ty says with a smirk drawing a new dagger form his belt.

"No you side it was a demon. That is a warlock." Kit says.

"Blackthorn and Herondale!" Sinria hissed. Kit reaches back for his sword but as his hand gripped it Sinira disappeared.

"That was very anticlimactic." Ty says sheathing his dagger.

Kit bent down to Alec and starts putting a iratze rune on Alec. "umm Ty this rune just went white..." Kit says looking up at his friend. However Ty was not looking at him but at the fire. Kit head almost forgotten the building was on fire.

The Fire head started to dance and move. Kit has been a shadowhunter for some time now and was trend by two of the best in his opinion. Jem Carstairs and Tessa Gray, but in all that time he had not seen nor heard of fire dancing and move like this one was. Or fire growling. "Hold up did that fire just growl?" Kit asks.

"Demon..." Alec chokes out right as he pass out slumping to the floor. The Fire seems to twist and bend till it forms into a almost human body. "Holy cow is that a meramon." Kit shouts out very sarcastically. Ty Smirks and looks at Kit. "Guess we should stop him so he can't Digivolve." Ty says drawing two daggers. Kit also Draws his Longsword.

The fire demon seems to look right through the two young shadowhunters. "Nephilim!" It spoke in a raspy voice as fire spit from its mouth. "I am the demon who burned the town Felixstowe." the demon spate.

"We know at 10:30 pm. on the evening of September 20, 1965." Ty interjects.

"We also know it was you in the town of Paradise." Kit adds has he grips his sword tightly. The demon seem to smirk and runs at the two boys fire trailing behind him.

Ty jumped to the left and Kit grabbing a unconscious Alec rollers to the right. The Demon runs in to the wall and splits in to paces. Ty draws his stele form his his boot and starts to draw a ruin on the floor. Kit pushes Alec under the cheffs disk and turns looking at Ty. Kit and Ty have head a unspoken bund for mean years. It started when Kit joined the Blacktrons in the LA institute. However now it was even more powerful seeing as they head become Parabatai. This was a bondy be on friends more than family it was as if they share one soul. Kit know right off the bat what ty was up to and moved in front of him his sword head stredy in front of him. Ty finishes drawing the open rune and all the water sprinklers start to spray water. As the demon starts to reform itself it's fire flicker out tell a black ashie body is all that remains. Kit darted at the demon and in a split sacent drops down and slides on the water covered flower his swings his longsword and cuts the demons ankles. The demon cries out in pain as Ty sinks his Daggers in to the chest of the demon.

The demon reaches out and grips Ty left arm and swings him in to a wall. Kit stables on to his feet and readys for another attack. The demon however was not going to let that happen as soon as Kit was back on his feet the demon was kicking him in to the chest. Kit doubles over in pain. Ty using the wall pulls himself up as he does he kicks Alec bow. Kit rolls under the disk and pulls one arrow form Alec quiver and throws it to Ty. Ty jumps into the air and snatches the arrow and as he lands he noches the arrow and points it at the demon. "Time for you to return to hell." he says and lets the arrow fly.

The arrow sinks itself in the head of the demon. The demon falls to the grow and shacks and blinks out of existence. Kit gets to his feet and Ty looks over at him "Told you there was a demon Watson." Ty says and a small smirke comes over his face. Kit goes over to Alec and puts two fingers on his neck. "He gots a pulse but it's week and Iratze are not working but his Parabatai rune is a funny purple color."

"Let's get him to the Institute. His parabatai will be able to help heal him." Ty says very matter of factly. Kit nod and Ty helps him pick up Alec and they carry him out of the building one under each shoulder.

Maryse lightwood sits at her desk. Papers sit neatly on the desk and a single file folder lies open on her desk. Maryse was a slender woman with long black hair that was papered with white.

After Alec being console. Maryse moved back to New York to be close to here family. Max and Raphael play on the floor in front of her. When Magnus asked her to watch the boys she did it hapttpily. But now her heart starts to hurt. She feel like something is wrong with one of her own children.

Jace kicks open the infirmary doors caring a passed out and badly burned Alec in his arms. Clary runs in past him pulling back the blankets on one of the beds. Ty and Kit stand in the doorway. “Go get Magnus!” Jace snapped drawing his Stele. Ty and Kit nod and take off running. Jace starts putting on Iratzes but as soon as he finishes they turn white. Jace runs his hand over Alec Parabatai rune and a twinge of pain shouts throw his hand. “What was tha….” Jace starts to say then falls to his knees grabbing his own Parabatai rune. Clary darted over and catches him just as he also pass out.

By the Time Magnus, Isabelle and Simon get to the Infirmary. Clary head placed Jace in the bed next to Alec and placed wet towels on both their foreheads. “With in the world!?” Simon shouts.

“The boy side it was just Alec. What happened crumpit?” Magnus asks sitting on the bed next to Alec.

“I really don’t know, One minet Jace is placing a healing rune on and the next he is passed out.” Clary answers.

“There burning up.” Magnus says laying his hand on the two men. “I think this is blood magic.” He adds

“What's that mean for my Brothers Magnus?” Isabella asks looking very white. Simon knowing that his wife was scared for her brother's safety came over and put his arms around his wife. Kit and Ty head walked into the Infirmary the young shadowhunters behind time in the hallway. Magnus lets out a heavy breath. “We need the blood of the warlock that casted the spell.” Magnus says.

“Sinira.” Ty stated.

“What?” Clary asks.

“It's what the warlock side her name was.” Kit tells them. Magnus go’s white in the face and slow gets up. A very shocked look on his face as he turned and looked at Ty and Kit. “what was that name.” He asked.

“Sinira she did not give a last name.” Ty side very sarcastically. Kit shook his head. He know his Parabatai head no taticed but he thought he had shown him ways to be a bit more sensitive. Magnus stumbles backward and Clary catches him. “Mag what is it?” Clary asked.

“She told me she was coming for my loved once.” Magnus says in a blank voice.

“Magnus we need to save the guys how do we stop blood magic.” Clary says in a from voice.

“We need the blood of the warlock and the blood of the one they love. So with Sinira blood and Magnus you should be able to help them.” Ty explands.

“Ok here is what's going to happen. Magnus you are to stay here and help the guys as best you can. Izzy, Simon and I are going warlock hunting. Ask for The newbies I want you all on guard duty and helping Magnus.” Clary ordered.

“What about us?” Kit asked but Ty hit him in the arm.

“Mission.” Ty says. Clary nods at the two boys. “Looks like you guys got your own job to do. If you come across this Sinira send a message.” Clary side. Ty and Kit nod as they make their way into the hall “You know we could have told her about the fight club rummers.” Kit says looking at his Parabatai incragesly. Ty shakes his head.

“They have to much to deal with. This is just some downworld fight club.” Ty says as they start down the longhall way back to the main doors.

“Ya but we know it's ran by a Warlock that know one has ever seen.” Kit protasted.

“Very Good Watson but we don't know if it is this Sinira.” Ty says as a hand come down on his shoulder. Ty stiffend all over. He had gotten used to people he did not know touching him but he still did not like it. Ty and Kit sponge on there heels and saw Simon Lovelace. “Did you to just say fight club?” He asked.

“Yesss.” Kit drawed out.

“I know where it is and you two are coming with me.” Simon greand.

Back In the Infirmary Clary was still dealing with the Newbies. They had protested with great pashin that they would not be sidelined on the first real mission since they got there. “We are Shadowhunters Not just some Mundans off the street!” Mekyle barked.

“He is right we should be out there doing are jobs.” Ruthie added.

“Your job kid!” Isabelle shouted.

“Your Job is Whatever I say it is as the head of this institute.” Clary shouted a tear running down her left eye. Her face was red with anger. “And right know your Job is very simple. Gared the institute with your lives. If anyone or thing gets throw them doors put it down!”

“It's not fear…” Mekyle started to say as Xander lays a hand on his arm.

“Stop it Man we have are orders and we will carry them out.” Xander snapped looking at Mekyle a fire seem to be in his eyes.

“Mekyle He is right this is what we need to do right now.” Angelique says looking at Mekyle with a look of fondness. What Clary and the others did not know is Mekyle and Angelique are Parabatai. Slow Mekyle lightened and he nods at Clary and steps out of the door way.

“Where is Simon?” Isabelle asked looking around.

The Subways of New York are long and all over the city but a good number of them were still up and running. However this Subway was not it was old run down and dirty very dirty. Kit splash throw a paddle and Simon snapped back to reality. He head dedie to go with Kit and Ty without telling the others. Simon has been doing patrols for the last few weeks on his own. Isabelle is great and he loved being with her at all times but he had gotten to a point in his new marriage where he wanted his own time. This head lead him on the trail of a roaming downworld fight club. As it head turned out this was why Kit and Ty where here in New york and not in there home town of L.A.

Now they are walking in one of the line of the 191st street subway the worst of all the subways there is. It was actually voted number one on of the mundane websites. Kit splashes again and the quiver on Simon back jerks as he steps in a hole and rats took of running every witch way. “Wow!” Simon shouts.

“He hunts demons yet a Rat scares him.” Kit snickers. Simon shots Kit a evil look. “Yep Your a Herondale.” He says.

The trio keep going deeper and deeper into the subway tell they started to hear hooping and hollering. Then came a wolf howl the three exchange looks and took off running. Ty draw two daggers and Kit draw his Longsword and they took of full shadowhunter speed. Simon on the other had did not use this speed rune he keep back a few feet from the two boys a arrow notched and ready to fire.

As the two boys reach the crowded there is screams of shock and anger. People were running everywhere but in the center of the group was a ring white checked into the floor In the ring stood Ty, Kit and Sinira…. “By the order of the clave.” Kit says as he is pushed back in to a wall by a invisible force. Simon closed his eye and thought of Clary his old friend and now his parabatai. Then there was a flash of blue light and a portal opened and out of it walked Clary and Izzy. Simon was still a few feet away but he could hear what was being side.

“Sinira!” Clary shouts Sinira grinds and looks at her.

“Oh my little Fray.” Sinira answers

“My Name is Clary Fairchild! You are hurting two people I care about deeply and that's going to end.” Clary says as she draws a short sword form here belt. Izzy silver snake bracelet head already formed in to her deadly whip. Sinira did not move she just started to leaph.

“So my spell got Jace Herondale to that's just too great. How is my Big Brother doing with this?” Sinira snickers. Izzy whip flies out in the blink of an eye and was wrapped around Sinira nack. “Kill me and the spell will kill them.” she smirked. Ty was running at her in a matter of sacents not lissing to her words like Kit he is sent flying by some force unseen. Simon keeping to the shadows starts to make his way behind Sinira. Clary most not of seen him because she took after Sinira also her sword hung over her head, but at the last minute stops cold and looks over at Izzy. Simon eyes also flicker over to Isabelle.

Isabelle head gone ghost white and was not moving. Icicles were forming on the whip and all over Isabelle hand. Clary spins around and run over to Isabelle and ripps the whip free of Izzy hand. Isabelle falls in to Clarys arms. Simon raises his bow and looks at Sinira he slow lets out a single breath and lets the arrow fly. Sinira spends around and catches the arrow. “What's Wrong Little SideKick did you think i did not know your there.” Simon smirked and winked as the arrow she was holding disappeared and anther arrow flow out of the shadows and right throw Sinira hand. Sinira screamed out in pain and disappears. “Remind me to thank Alec and Magnus for them arrows they got me for my Birthday.” he snickered walking into the light. Clary looked at him with fire in her eyes she was pissed and boy could he fill it.

“Now how do we save the guys she is gone!” Clary shouted. Simon just smiled and pointed at the arrow that was stock in to the wall dripping with blood. Clary's eyes light up.

#shadowhunters #shadow world #jace herondale #clary fairchild #alec lightwood #magnus bane #izzy lightwood #simon lovelace #epic #cool

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lynne-monstr · 5 years ago

Text

Writers Month 2019: Day 17: Accidental Baby Acquisition (malec)

requested by anonymous

(note that i cannot write children so no actual human babies will appear in this.)

summary: In the event this monumentally stupid stunt gets him gets killed, Magnus only hopes Alec has the good sense to lie to his friends about the cause of his death. He knows for a fact more than one of those bastards has money on him dying of his own bleeding heart.

ao3 link

“Alec, no!” Magnus lunges, grabbing Alec’s sword arm before he can attack.

Alec twitches beneath his hand but doesn’t shake him off. Later, Magnus will marvel that he’s learned to trust Alec so deeply he'd put himself in the path of a Nephilim weapon without hesitation. But that’s a thought for later. For now, he’s more concerned about what he’s come home to.

It had been such a nice date night, but it already feels like a distant memory.The perils of being a powerful warlock with an equally powerful boyfriend.

All the lights in the loft are off save for the entranceway at their backs. In front of them, the living room is dim, lit only by the faint glow of the city’s light pollution filtering in from the balcony windows. Everything is wreathed in shadow. Magnus feels the weight of his glamour dropping and the room sharpens into the full spectrum of night. Which is when he sees it. In the darkened depths of the living room, there’s a darker smudge under the coffee table.

He and Alec aren’t alone.

There’s something in the room with them, lying in wait beneath the furniture. Magnus tastes the air and the hair on the back of his necks stands up. With his natural vision, he can see what his instincts warned him of, what Alec saw with his heightened Shaowhunter senses. There’s a creature pressed tight against the far leg of the coffee table. But he also sees why he stopped Alec’s attack. The creature is huddled as far away as it can get without leaving the shelter of the furniture.

It isn’t attacking, or preparing an ambush. It’s cowering.

Something that feels like a memory curdles in Magnus’ stomach. He hates to see anyone or anything cower.

Beneath his grip, the muscles of Alec’s forearm twitch. He shifts on the balls of his feet but doesn’t interfere. Warmth expands in Magnus’ chest. Alec’s battle instincts must be screaming but he’s willing to yield to Magnus’ expertise in this particular area.

Edom.

There’s an Edomei in their home.

The Edomei is curled into a ball of pitch-black scales. Its very presence warps the light around it, making the space under the coffee table darker than it should rightfully appear. A pair of equally black wings shoot from the creature's back. The wings look wrong—crooked and grotesque, deformed and hanging in ways that make Magnus shift in discomfort.

“It’s injured.” Alec’s voice is soft, though his body remains a coiled spring. “What’s it doing here?” he adds, keeping his voice low, as if the thing can understand English.

Maybe it can. Magnus has never looked too deeply into the native inhabitants of his homeland aside from strengths, weaknesses, and hunting patterns. The only thing he knows about these creatures is how to kill them.

“I don’t know. It’s not like I invited it over for drinks,” Magnus whispers back. He swallows down the rising dread at the reminder of the place he once called home. He’d prefer to forget this part of his heritage but here it is, not even on his doorstep but inside his home.

Alec, his wonderful Alexander, attempts to lighten the mood. “Well, you did once tell me you made the best cocktails in North America. Maybe word spread.”

Magnus lets out a silent huff, and gives Alec’s arm a squeeze. It never fails to amaze him that Alec can read him so well. He clings to the comfort as he makes his decision on what to do with his uninvited guest. His logical mind says to kill it. The rest of him balks at the thought of killing a child. Because that’s what this is, a tiny, young Edomei that somehow found its way to his loft.

Slowly, he releases his grip on Alec and takes a tentative step forward.

The Edomei under his coffee table backpedals in a flurry of wings. It makes it about three steps before listing off balance, stumbling onto its side with a pained cry. Its wings flap uselessly and a thready screech fills the air.

Magnus is moving before he can convince himself what a terrible idea this is.

“It’s okay,” he says, walking forward with small, tentative steps.

It was never really a decision at all. A child is a child, regardless of species. He only hopes that in the event this monumentally stupid stunt gets him gets killed, Alec has the good sense to lie to his friends about his cause of death. He knows for a fact that more than one of those bastards has money on him dying of his own bleeding heart.

Behind him, Alec keeps pace, hovering at his shoulder. His unsheathed blade glints in the evening light but he doesn’t raise it.

As Magnus gets closer, he can hear the Edomei breathing in weak squeals. Its scaled chest continues to heave, faster and faster as he kneels beside it, a string of nonsense reassurances spilling from his lips in the same low, hushed tones that work well on all types of children.

Around them, the loft is perfectly still.

The eyes that meet Magnus’ gaze are deep red with no pupil but he gets the sense of being studied by a predator. A very small one in need of help, but a predator nonetheless. Magnus doesn’t flinch. This tiny Edomei is hardly the only predator in the room.

After a beat, it lowers its head.

The urge to let out a breath is palpable but Magnus resists. No showing weakness now or it may be the last thing he does.

He leans in for a closer look. The small dragon-like creature isn’t just dark in color but filthy. Caked between the scales are layers upon layers of dirt and grime. Magnus wrinkles his nose. It must have dragged itself through half the gutters of Brooklyn in search of shelter.

“Alright, let’s patch you up. This rug is a lost cause but we can still salvage the hardwood if we work fast.” There’s no response, which is a shame but ultimately not a surprise. He’s not sure if it’s because the Edomei doesn’t understand human language, or because the denizens of his father’s realm don’t have a sense of humor. Either is equally likely.

Raising a hand, he prepares to summon a ball of magic to his aid.

“Magnus be careful,” Alec interrupts before he can cast the spell. He’s in a defensive stance at Magnus’ shoulder, blade poised to plunge into the Edomei’s heart at the slightest provocation. “You don’t know why it’s here. It could kill us both the moment you heal it.”

They both remember the battle at the beach, the sheer amount of devastation even a single Edomei can wreak. Even a small one—practically a baby, Magnus realizes with an ache—is incredibly dangerous.

“It’s a child, Alexander. It’s here because it has nowhere else to go.”

Alec’s eyes go a little bit soft, his blade slowly lowering though he doesn’t drop his guard. His Alexander has always had a soft spot for the young.

“It must have come through that portal and escaped detection all this time. Unsurprising, considering its size. When it got hurt and tried to go home, the portal no longer existed and there was no magic for it to follow back to Edom. I suppose it found my magic instead and traced it here.” Magnus swallows down the memories of filthy alleys and rancid food and the absolute knowledge that no one in the world cared for him enough to save him. “An easy mistake to make, considering where my magic comes from.”

A warm hand settles on his shoulder. “You’re nothing like him, Magnus.”

“I know,” he says, and isn’t that something, that those are words he can say without a hint of sarcasm.

He spent his entire life doubting, convinced that there was no atoning for the sins of his past. He still has his moments of weakness, but he can’t deny the impact of Alec’s stalwart acceptance. In this moment, he’s intensely, absurdly grateful that he trusted Alec enough to take that leap and tell him of his heritage. To trust the man he loves with his most closely guarded and shameful secret.

Alec’s hand falls away and Magnus doesn’t need to look to know he’s readying himself for a fight if things go wrong. “Do what you have to do. I’ll cover you.”

Before he can regret his choice, Magnus sends out a stream of magic into the Edomei’s mangled wings.

This time, the creature’s cry is pure excitement. The moment the last of the hollow bones knit together, it launches itself into the air, circling the remnants of magic coming off Magnus’ fingers. Magnus nearly blasts it but years of helping untrained warlocks control their magic stays his hand.

Alec steps in close but doesn’t attack, still following Magnus’ lead.

Following a hunch, Magnus shoots out a few harmless sparks. The the Edomei flies after it, landing in a tangle of wings on the far end of Magnus’ couch. It bounces on the cushion, trying to grab at the dancing points of bright blue magic. When that doesn’t work it breathes out a tiny jet of fire, no larger than the flickering flame of a lighter. Magnus presses his lips together, not wanting to laugh and scare the creature. His resolve nearly breaks when he looks over at Alec, whose eyes are wide, a lopsided smile painted across his face as he watches what should be a fearsome beast pounce on bits of magic.

“My poor couch,” Magnus laments with a frown, sending out a couple more bursts of magic. Some of it races around the Edomei, the rest erases the tiny burn marks from the upholstery. At the same time he he spares a burst of power to gradually brighten the lights in the room. He's getting tired of not seeing in color.

Alec presses his lips together but can’t hide his amusement. “We’re keeping it, aren’t we?” The words are resigned but there’s a hopeful tone in his voice that tells Magnus he’s just as enamored with their unexpected visitor as Magnus is. His voice turns contemplative as he adds, “I wonder why this one is so different than the others.”

“Well, we did save it. Maybe it’s grateful,” Magnus says, though he’s not convinced at his own glib answer.

“Or maybe there’s nothing inherently evil about being from Edom,” Alec replies, pointedly. “Maybe the other Edomei were taught how to be destructive and this one never learned how to hurt people.”

Magnus can’t help himself, he leans in and kisses Alec. Just a light press of lips but enough to let him know how much his words mean.

They both tense for a split second when the Edomei flies at them but it merely settles on Magnus’ shoulder.

“It needs a name,” Alec says, watching the two of them with a fond expression that’s usually reserved for Magnus himself.

“He needs a name,” Magnus corrects. He considers whether or not to be jealous of Alec’s affection and decides against it. The Edomei is adorable, after all.

As if it can sense his thoughts, his new shoulder companion gives another happy noise and plops it’s head down to rest in what was until that very moment a perfectly styled hairdo.

Mischief lights up Alec’s face, now clearly visible in the well lit room. “How about Michelangelo, since he’s clearly a master artisan.” He points to Magnus’ hair, which has become a birds-nest in an almost literal sense. “And now the next time you try to tell me you shared quarters with Michelangelo, it will actually be true.” One corner of his mouth turns up, clearly pleased with himself.

Magnus pretends to pout. “Are you insulting my flirting?” He still remembers the look of confusion that pickup line had earned him from Alec in those early days. Nothing like the smile that lights up his face now, or the warm glint in his eyes that Magnus can feel all the way down to his bones. He pretends to pout, for old time’s sake. “Fine, but if he tries to crawl into our bed at night, you have only yourself to blame.”

Alec grins in satisfaction. “Michelangelo it is.”

The Edomei kneads its claws into the expensive fabric of Magnus’ silk shirt. Magnus grumbles about Versace but his heart isn’t in it. “You’re going to be a handful, aren’t you?”

The tiny creature flaps its wings, stretching out its long neck and letting out a high-pitched honking noise completely at odds with its small frame. Magnus assumes it’s some form of agreement and scratches its belly in reassurance.

It looks like there were going to be three of them in the loft for the foreseeable future.

#shadowhunters #malec #malec fanfic #magnus bane #alec lightwood #lynne writes fic #writersmonth2019 #i've had this in my drafts for so long and i finally untangled the mess of it!#sorry for no babies in this fic but that is not a thing i can do #i can however do baby animals!

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skylar102 · 5 years ago

Note

First of all, congratulations on 400 followers!! That's awesome! You deserve it 💙💙💙 For your prompt opening: I have an angst prompt because, well, you know me. I was thinking that Alec has a hard day with the Downworld Cabinet and Magnus is torn between his fellow Downworlders (who are all telling him Alec is wrong; whether he actually is or not is up to you) and his loyalty to his boyfriend. Angst ensues. Perhaps a bit of crying, if you're feeling adventurous? Thanks! No rush to write it :)

So this turned out more angsty than I planned but hey I’m not gonna complain about that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Warning for self harm

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Magnus comes home to a quiet loft. He knows that Alec is here because his bow and quiver are on the rack by the door. There’s no lights coming from the living room and the french doors to his balcony are closed.

“Alexander?” he calls out. There’s no response.

Magnus thinks back to the cabinet meeting he just got back from. While the one that Alec has created is leaps and bounds ahead of anything any other Institute, or Lilith even the Clave, is doing, the Downworld Leaders of New York still wanted to have another with just them.

Judging by how tonight’s meeting went, he can only imagine Alec’s meeting with them. Meliorn, Lorenzo, Maia, and Raphael all hounded him about Alec and his unwillingness to budge on certain topics discussed at the meeting. Of course, being Alec’s boyfriend meant that everyone flocked to him about complaining about the shadowhunter.

Magnus regrets agreeing to accompany Lorenzo to the meeting, but when the High Warlock requests your presence at a cabinet meeting you don’t turn it down. Of course, if he had known it was going to be a shout fest about how his boyfriend is handling the recent downworld disappearances, he would have declined.

While Magnus knows that Alec is working nonstop to find the person causing the disappearances, he understands why the other’s are so upset. Magnus doesn’t believe that Alec insinuated that the person responsible was a downworlder over a shadowhunter. Magnus doesn’t want to accept that was the case, but being against four people in that situation doesn’t hold any power, especially when the said four are fueled with anger.

“Alexander,” he calls out again.

The kitchen is empty, there are no plates in the sink which means Alec has not eaten yet, and knowing how stressful this week has been for Alec also means he probably missed lunch as well. He checks the bedroom and sees everything is where he last saw it when he left that evening.

Magnus is starting to worry. He knows that he tuned the wards to allow Alec to know when he arrives at the loft. Mostly for selfish reasons. Magnus could never say no to welcome home kisses and hugs and Alec excelled at both of those. Coming home to a quiet loft, while is not out of the ordinary, but most of the lights are off save for a few lamps is new.

Magnus starts to move at a faster pace. He checks every room in the loft and turns up empty. He’s about to grab one of Alec’s sweaters when he hears a noise on the roof. A loud thump. A cold dread fills his stomach. Magnus doesn’t stop to guess the sound as he rushes towards the spiral stairs that lead to the roof. He takes two steps at a time to get to the roof faster. A million scenarios filling his mind as he reaches the roof.

He halts before opening the door. If Alec is hurting himself he doesn’t want to bust through the door, scaring his boyfriend. He takes a deep breath to compose himself before he turns the knob. The sight that greets him has his stomach dropping.

After Alec moved in, Magnus didn’t want the noise of workout equipment clunking through the loft, so he compromised with his boyfriend to put it on the roof and magic the patio to block out all types of weather. That way he could work in his apothecary in peace while Alec got in his daily workout. Magnus was more than happy to oblige if it meant that when he took breaks from potion making he got to ogle at his boyfriend.

Magnus wants to burn the equipment to ash at the very moment.

There’s equipment scattered about the roof like it was thrown to the side. Heavy rope is frayed and torn, like someone overused them, and judging by the small red stains on the ends, someone did. Magnus takes his eyes away from the equipment and focuses on Alec.

His boyfriend is going at the free-standing punching bag like it murdered his family. Every jab and kick directed at the bag is loud and painful. Magnus winces at every hit. Alec hasn’t noticed him yet, too focused on destroying the bag in front of him. The blank look on his boyfriend’s face has his heart breaking.

“Alexander,” Magnus whispers between hits.

He watches Alec’s head tilt his way but his boyfriend doesn’t stop his attack on the bag. If anything he seems to go harder and faster.

“If you’re here to yell at me too,” Alec pants. “Then just get it over with.”

“Yell at you- Alexander I don’t want to yell at you.” Magnus begins to slowly make his way to Alec, not wanting to upset him further.

“You should.” Alec delivers a particularly hard punch to the bag. “Everyone else did, why not my warlock boyfriend as well? Seems only fair.”

Magnus knows that Alec is in a bad mindset right now, but he still flinches at the words.

“Alexander, you have to know that I would never do that,” Magnus reasons.

“You did once before with the Soul Sword. Why would this be any different.”

Magnus has heard enough. Right as Alec is about to land a right hook, Magnus magics the punching bag away with a swirl of blue sparks. Alec stumbles forward with his momentum but manages to balance himself. His boyfriend’s chest is heaving and he’s covered in sweat. He doesn’t turn to address Magnus, his gaze focused on Brooklyn’s rooftops.

“Alexander please,” Magnus begs.

“What do you want me to say?” Alec demands turning towards Magnus. “That I fucked up? I know I did, I ruined the one good thing I had going for the downworld because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.”

“I'm sure that is not true.”

“I threw out the idea that a downworlder could be responsible for the kidnappings of other downworlders because it hurt watching people I know and trust bash my people and say it was someone under my command,” Alec explains. “I should have kept my mouth shut but I want to explore all possibilities with the cabinet before we jump to conclusions.”

Alec scoffs and begins to pick up the weights on the ground. “Seems that a shadowhunter insinuating the possibility that a downworlder was responsible for this was unimaginable. I was trying to cover all grounds with the investigation, I don’t even have suspects.”

“Alexander you have to understand how that sounds to them,” Magnus tries to justify. Alec stops his movements, his hold on the weight tightens. “For hundreds of years, we’ve had to endure-”

“You think I don’t know that!” Alec turns and shouts at him, making Magnus take a step back. Alec has never shouted at him before. “You think I don’t know how much my people have wronged downworlders? That I don’t think about it every single day what my people have done, what I’ve had to witness with my own eyes? I am well aware of the atrocities my people have committed.”

Alec’s chest is heaving and his hands are clenched tight around the weights in his heads. It’s only now that Magnus realizes that it’s not sweat dripping from Alec’s hands. It's blood.

“Knowing all of that, knowing what my people have done doesn’t mean that I am not going to explore all avenues on this investigation. Maybe I could have worded it differently but I’m not about to just focus on a group of people without any evidence to back it up. That would make me just as bad as the people before me.”

“Alexander,” Magnus interrupts, he can’ take his eyes off Alec’s hands. “Perhaps we should head inside.”

“Why so you can continue to tell me how I fucked up in a place that I call home?” Alec laughs hollowly, he puts the last of the weights back on the rack. “I’d rather sleep at the Institute tonight.”

Alec walks past Magnus. He doesn’t hesitate to grab Alec’s bicep stopping his boyfriend. He knows that if he lets Alec walk through that door, their relationship will never recover from this. Magnus doesn’t want this strain to weigh on them both.

“Alec please, don’t leave,” Magnus pleads, his grip on Alec’s arm tells him how much his boyfriend is trying to hold it together. Alec’s arm is shaking so much that Magnus is surprised he was able to clean up the weights with how bad he’s trembling. “Let’s just, go inside and talk about this.” Magnus reaches for the hand closest to him, magic already sparking at his fingertips. “And let me heal your-”

Flinching at the small touch on his hand, Alec rips his arm away before Magnus can heal it.

“Don’t,” Alec clips hoarsely. “Just don’t.”

Alec starts to move towards the door again, but Magnus is there again before his boyfriend can take another step. This time wrapping Alec in a hug from behind. He locks his hands to his wrists so that Alec can’t pull his arms apart. He feels the stuttering breathes that Alec is taking. Magnus rests his head at the base of Alec’s neck and closes his eyes. It hurts feeling how much Alec is shaking in his arms, how hard Alec is trying to keep it together.

“Darling, please,” Magnus whispers into his boyfriend’s neck. The nickname has a quick sob escaping Alec’s lips. “I know that we are going to have different opinions on this and I know that you are trying your best. Maybe you could have worded things differently, maybe you worded them perfectly and the others were too high strung to listen to reasoning, but please. I don’t want to fight with you and have you leave.”

The shaking has increased and Magnus can feel drops of water hit his arms. Magnus releases the locked grip and moves in front of him. His own eyes start to water at the sight that greets him.

Alec’s face is covered in tears streaks, his lower lip clenched between his teeth to stop sobs from breaking out. Magnus cups his boyfriend’s face and begins to wipe away the tears.

“Why is everything I do not good enough?” Alec quietly sobs out.

That’s all Magnus needs to hear. He pulls his boyfriend into his arms as the sobs get louder. Magnus tucks Alec’s head into his neck as he cries. A hand goes to the back of Alec’s head while the other rubs up and down his boyfriend's back. Magnus feels his shirt tighten as Alec grips it. Magnus quietly rocks them gently back and forth.

“I got you, darling,” Magnus whispers into Alec’s ear.

Magnus’ focus is all on Alec, he doesn’t know how much time has passed as they stand there. He doesn’t stop the embrace, doesn’t pull back. He waits until Alec is the one to let go. Even when Alec does eventually loosen his grip on his shirt, Magnus doesn’t want to let go.

His hands immediately go to Alec’s face again to wipe away the remaining tears on his boyfriend’s face. Alec, clearly exhausted from working out and crying leans into the touch closing his eyes. Alec’s breath still shudders even as the worst of his emotions have passed.

“Alexander,” Magnus sighs. “Can I please heal your hands?”

Alec doesn’t open his eyes when he nods. Magnus releases his head and moves his hands to Alec’s. Gentle blue sparks caress Alec’s hands as Magnus sets about healing them. He watches his magic stitch Alec’s hands back together and clean off any blood. As the last drop disappears, Magnus raises Alec’s hands pressing a kiss to each knuckle.

“Let’s head inside, take a shower and go to bed, hm?” Magnus suggests as Alec stands there with his eyes still closed. Alec shakes his head.

“No, I- I should call the members of the cabinet and apologize,” Alec says.

“That can wait until tomorrow,” Magnus reasons, already pulling Alec towards the door. “I think a night’s rest will do everyone some good. Continuing the conversation when emotions are still high is not going to help anyone.”

“Magnus I can’t just leave it like that, I should-.” Magnus presses a finger to his lips.

“None of that,” Magnus stops. “We are going to go inside, you are going to hop in the shower while I cook up something for you and you will eat it, and then we are going to fall onto the bed with my best linens and I am going to cuddle you until you fall asleep.”

Alec lets out a huff as a small smile appears on his face. Magnus doesn’t remove his finger until Alec nods his head.

“Excellent.” Magnus grips Alec’s arm and pulls him inside.

When they get to the main floor, Magnus shoves Alec towards the show with a stern look, getting a small chuckle out of Alec. Magnus heads to the kitchen and starts preparing a small meal. He doubts that Alec will want anything hearty so he settles for making soup. By the time he pours two bowls, Alec is walking out of their room in sweats and a t-shirt with damp hair.

They eat in silence. Magnus can tell that his boyfriend is not in the mood to talk by his drooping eyes. A yawn breaks past Alec’s lips as he finishes the bowl. Magnus magics the empty bowls to the sink and drags Alec towards their bed. It’s telling how tired his boyfriend is when Magnus just has to give him a light push to get into bed.

Magnus crawls into bed on his side and drags Alec to him. Alec rests his head on Magnus’ chest and melts. Magnus hums a soft song as he feels the tension leave Alec’s body and soon enough small snores fill the room. Magnus kisses the top of his head and reaches to turn off the bedside lamp.

#alec lightwood #magnus bane #malec #angst #shadowhunters #fanfiction #my writing #this was a lot of fun to write #i hope you like it :D

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harlanandrew · 4 years ago

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bytheangell · 4 years ago

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All I Know Is That I’ve Never Really Known

(a s02e04 inspired fic) (Read on AO3)

Despite Jace’s words of dismissal and denial to Clary earlier, a small part of him shared her hope that he might get out of here and get a second chance at figuring out a future for them, whatever that might look like in the context of their familial relationship.

But that was before Aldertree’s questioning. That was before he realized that there is no helping him, there is no fixing him or the thoughts he has that make him the exact sort of person who should be kept down here forever, which is exactly what his sentence is. Forever. He’s to spend the rest of his life behind bars in the Silent City.

He’s exhausted, his interrogation with the Soul Sword taking more energy than he anticipated. He doesn’t want to sleep, though, remembering his dream from earlier and the warning from Hodge that accompanied it. A question immediately comes to the forefront of his mind, one he isn’t sure he wants to know the answer to, but can’t help asking all the same.

“Who do you dream of?” Jace asks out loud, assuming Hodge is still in his cell next to him to hear it. He wishes that he could see the face of the man who tutored him all those years, to watch the way the question might catch him off-guard. Or maybe not. Maybe Hodge would put on the same careful mask he wore all those years of lying to him and Alec and Izzy.

“What?” Hodge replies.

“You said the Silent Brothers use your sleep to torture you with memories of those you hurt the most. Who do you dream of? Is it Alec and Izzy? Me? Is it the… what? Dozens? Hundreds of Downworlders you hurt and killed with the Circle?” Jace pauses. “Or is it Valentine?”

As the silence stretches out for a minute, and then two, Jace thinks that Hodge isn’t going to answer him at all.

“I don’t think my failures particularly hurt your father,” Hodge says slowly. Jace scoffs at the non-answer that skirts around the honest admission he’s looking for.

He wonders how much of his life was shaped by Valentine’s ideals through Hodge even after he was taken in by the Lightwoods. He wonders how much of what he believes is truly what he believes, and not just the force-fed ideology of those around him he didn’t know well enough to question. He learns, with an uncomfortable certainty, that the more he hears from Hodge now the more he realizes he really didn’t know the whole story about anything that was going on around him - and not just around him, but to him - for most of his life.

“Come on, Hodge. We’re both going to spend the rest of our lives down here. I think after everything we’ve been through, you owe me a single moment of honesty,” Jace prompts.

“I may not have told you everything I knew but I never lied to you, not once.” Hodge insists. His tone sounds genuine enough, Jace thinks. And what reason would he have to lie now? “I cared for you kids. Sometimes I felt more like a third parent than a tutor. Everything I taught you, everything I did to prepare you for the world you grew up in, I did with the honest intention of wanting to see you succeed. All of you.”

“Is that why you betrayed us to Valentine?” Jace counters. Even though he’s the one who asked he’s still unable to entirely believe anything Hodge says to him in response.

“Don’t fool yourself, Jace. You would thrive in the world Valentine wants. So would Alec and Isabelle,” Hodge adds.

“I’m certainly thriving here,” Jace mutters, and he isn’t sure if he says it softly enough that Hodge doesn’t hear, or if Hodge chooses not to comment. All he knows is that another silence falls between them, one that leaves Jace to dwell on the implication that Hodge truly believes he’d follow Valentine’s lead no matter the fallout or who else it might hurt, so long as he saves himself.

“No,” Jace says, louder this time. He isn’t sure who he’s trying to convince more: Hodge, or himself. “We wouldn’t, because we could never stand by and go along with what he’s doing.” Jace knows he can say that confidently of Alec and Izzy… and he really, really wants to believe the same to be true of himself, though his current situation is hardly conducive for thoughts of self-worth. “The only way I’d thrive in the world Valentine wants if I joined him, not as a casual bystander to the destruction he’ll bring. And I’ll never join him.”

“That isn’t what it sounds like from what I heard,” Hodge says. “Sounds like you helped him take in one of the wolves pretty willingly.”

Jace wonders if word travels that fast down here, or if Hodge still has some connection to Valentine somehow. Maybe Aldertree asked Hodge about it in the hopes that he could pit the two of them against one another. Or maybe Hodge just overheard some of Jace’s initial questioning - speaking with the SIlent Brothers isn’t a common occurrence and Jace is sure he spoke out loud instead of thinking his replies more than once out of habit. Regardless of how he knows, Jace doesn’t like the fact that he does.

“That’s because you’re a survivor, just like I taught you,” Hodge continues. “It isn’t a bad thing.”

“Seems like a pretty bad thing right about now,” Jace points out. “I don’t think either of us gets to talk about being ‘survivors’ given our circumstances.”

Hodge makes a sound that’s almost a laugh if it weren’t forced and too hollow, devoid of any real emotion. “Fair point.”

The conversation lulls again. Jace sits down against the cold stone floor, leaning his head back and closing his eyes, though trying to focus on not falling asleep despite his fatigue. He’s ready to mark the conversation as over when Hodge’s voice breaks the silence again.

“I… I have seen you in my dreams since I’ve been down here. I see visions of the hurt of betrayal in your eyes, the confusion doubt… not just in me, but in yourself. I played a part in creating that doubt, though I didn’t mean to. I didn’t realize how badly I hurt you until you tracked me down and attacked me… and I can’t help but think if I let you in on more growing up, you would’ve understood what I was doing. Maybe you could’ve joined me, and Valentine would’ve taken us both in. Maybe things would have gone differently,” Hodge says.

Jace would like to think that his own version of ‘differently’ would be very different from Hodge’s, like being able to take down Valentine before any of this even started. Then he remembers his own words to Aldertree - that he agrees with at least some of what Valentine is doing - and he can’t be so sure. And that? That uncertainty scares him more than anything else right now. It’s dangerous not to know what you’re truly capable of at any given moment. It makes him glad he’s here, where he doesn’t have the opportunity to be tempted to act on the traitorous thoughts he pushes down as fast as they arrive.

“I guess we’ll never know,” Jace manages.

And this time, the silence that falls between them remains unbroken.

#jace herondale #hodge starkweather #shadowhunters #i didn't even MEAN to write this as my fic this week it just sort of ~happened #long post #elle writes a few deadbeat lines

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