#clary fray x simon lewis

[dhampiravidi]

hot take: it should’ve been Izzy/Jace & Clary/Simon! Spoilers thru The Dark Artifices…

am I the only 1 who read City of Bones & City of Ashes & thought that Clary would be better w/Simon, while Izzy should be w/Jace?

hear me out!

I should start by admitting that from the 2nd chapter of COB, I disliked Clary. Throughout the series, there are SO many times where her refusal to listen to her allies makes things harder. She yells at Jace a lot in the beginning, despite the fact that he kinda saved her life. But then, all of a sudden, we’re told that her take-no-shit attitude breaks through his façade of arrogance & she’s the 1st girl he’s ever truly loved—as if that’s not dramatic. & then in COHF they fuck (while in an equivalent to Hell), since y’know, all couples have to fuck at least once before they die. & don’t get me started on how they proposed to each other.

Basically, their whole relationship is just a lot of over-the-top shit. Felt like they were both the “saviors” of the Clave, so they were pushed together (mind you, the 1st series takes place in a matter of MONTHS). It’s supercharged puppy love.

ANYWAY…

I guess my main thing is, Clary & Simon knew each other for a long time. Yeah, she somehow didn’t notice his crush on her. But she didn’t have to date him just because she wanted to ignore her feelings for Jace. (Tbh it seems like she was using Simon in that way, but whatever.) I’m a fan of friends-to-lovers, because I think your endgame should also be 1 of your best friends. & weirdly, Clary finally seems to find Simon attractive once he grows out his hair & other girls (Izzy & Maia) show an interest in him. Also, there were numerous occasions where Simon felt intimidated by Izzy, even when she treated him as a part of their group.

I’m sure that the biggest issue people have w/the idea of Izzy/Jace is the fact that they were raised together. Yeah, well, Alec had loved Jace practically since they 1st met, but we focused on Alec’s struggle as a gay young person in a partly homophobic atmosphere (+ the unrequited nature of it all). That parabatai curse from The Dark Artifices wasn’t mentioned (or *cough* created) until that series.

Back to Izzy/Jace. She’s said to be the only 1 who can keep up w/him & unless the popular theory that she’s Valentine’s other child-slash-experiment proves true…that’s fucking awesome. Whips are extremely hard & dangerous to wield, especially when you’re running in heels. So she keeps up w/him in a fight. She also keeps up w/him verbally—Jace is known to be well-read & sassy, but she always has a witty retort prepared for him. & again, for those who focus on them being raised together…1) there were lots of unrelated Shadowhunters living under 1 roof & 2) Jace thought he was related to Clary, but aside from some guilt, they still got all hot & bothered about each other. Lastly, everyone seems to forget that Simon lowkey cheated on Izzy & Maia by secretly dating them both AT THE SAME TIME. Considering Izzy’s relationship w/her dad in TMI, you’d think that’d cross Simon off of her list. Jace, on the other hand, is ridiculously loyal. The only time he ever does anything to hurt his love interest is when he’d rather hurt their feelings than watch them die.

So yeah…

[starrieshq]

Clary: If I fall...

Jace: I'll catch you

Simon: If I fall...

Isabelle: I'll fall with you

Alec: If I fall...

Magnus: I'll heal your bruises

Jordan: If I fall...

Maia: I'll be the one that pushed you

[mangoob]

It took five years and everyone banging their heads against a wall for him and Simon to get together

Text is from a fuckin quora video I watched that place is wild

[fluffyballme]

so here’s my take on this meme but main couples in TMI

jace and clary

magnus and alec

simon and izzy

[bobabisch]

someone might've said this before but I didn't see it so I'm just gonna go ahead and say it "again". Cassandra Clare is a pussy for refusing to write gay nsfw scenes given that she was perfectly fine writing straight nsfw scenes. Isabelle and Simon make out for pages at a time, Clary and Jace had sex, Julian and Emma had sex like three times, Tess and Will had sex, but she refuses to write Magnus and Alec or Kieran and Mark kissing for longer than .5 seconds. like its so odd to me. the dark artifices in particular had so much nsfw shit its nearly gratuitous, but only with the straight couples? I guess the only argument against this would be that one short story where Malec got pretty close to having sex but Magnus stopped it before they got there (forgive me for not remembering the name of the short story or what book it was from its been a really long time since I last read through all the main series). Am I crazy? I seriously can't be the only one who noticed

[fics-and-quotes-andthelike]

Jace Herondale: I’ve been here in jail so long I think I’ve lost my mind.

Jace Herondale: The days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months.

Jace Herondale: How long have I been in here now? Almost a year?

Clary Fairchild: …….

Simon Lewis: (Done with Jace’s bs) This is Monopoly.

[shadowhunterseditsblog]

Clace❤️ Jace x Clary from The Mortal Instruments

Arist: @cassandrajean on Tumblr

[ghoulie-67-baby]

Partners in crime - Shadowhunters.

Summary: You’re Magnus Bane’s best friend and fellow warlock, when Shadowhunters ask for help you take the job together.

Warning: Mentions of nightmares, skimpy pyjamas (idk what you’d call them tbh), playful teasing between friends, fluff.

Pairing: Magnus bane x Warlock!reader (Platonic).

Word count: 1,336.

The sun scorched across my face through a gap in the curtains. I dramatically huffed as I glared at the curtains in disdain, knowing I wouldn't fall asleep again. I stretched with an obnoxiously loud yawn, humming contently as my bones popped in a chorus.

Discomfort quickly set in from the glaring light and I raked my fingers through my hair before swinging my legs from the bed and trudging towards the door. My dreams had kept me up a good portion of the night and in the end, I crawled into bed with Magnus which kept them at bay.

"Mags?" I called through the quiet loft, "Mags, why do you never close the curtains properly?" I searched the loft half asleep for my flatmate only to come up empty. I straightened out my shorts as I wandered to the kitchen, letting the growl of my stomach lead me.

My pyjama vest rose up my stomach as I reached to grab a bowl and I shivered at the cold air of my exposed midriff.

Shuffling towards the living room, I failed to notice the gathering of people until the sound of someone clearing their throat caught my attention. I nodded hello to the group sleepily, gathering my thoughts as I ate my breakfast. I snapped out of my sleepy state as Magnus appeared in front of me protectively.

"Good morning, my dearest, I'll make sure to close them properly from now on shall I?" The question was rhetorical but I nodded anyway, placing my now empty bowl on the table. "Now, as much as I love seeing you half-dressed," Magnus teased with a playful wink. "I'm not sure how much longer Simon can watch without holding his drool back so how about we cover you up." I sighed but let his magic swirl around me, a beautiful, feathered robe appearing around my body.

The fabric brushed the ground as I stepped forward and planted myself into Magnus' chest in a tight hug. He reciprocated, both lost in the cuddle and temporarily forgetting about the group awkwardly standing behind him. Unfamiliar people weren't going to stop me from having my morning cuddle, they could wait.

"Thank you, my love," I whispered, pressing a small kiss to his cheek before peering up at him quizzically. "so, who do we have today?"

"Shadowhunters and Vampires," I moved to stand beside him, smiling at the small sea of faces, some of which smiled back whilst others remained blank. A huge smile overtook me and my eyes softened as my es met Raphael's gaze. I knew he had turned away when I appeared in my pyjamas, he always felt awkward and refused to see me in a vulnerable state, saying it wasn't proper. I understood considering Magnus and I had practically raised him since vampirism. Though he hated to admit it, he was my boy but he had a reputation to hold up and such so I let him seem hardened and cold, sometimes.

"Hello my lovely boy," I held his face in my hand gently, looking at his handsome face before putting my arms around him. He kissed my cheek and hugged me back before clearing his throat, letting me step back towards Magnus. I sniggered as he glared at the group of shocked Shadowhunters, daring them to say something. "Play nice Rafe."

"This is Y/N, best friend for all intents and purposes, partner in crime and partnering warlock." I grinned, bowing playfully at the group who stared at me strangely.

"Y/N, these are the Shadowhunters of the New York Institute. This is Alexander," I noticed the twinkle in his eye at that name. "Jace, Clarissa and Isabelle. The new vampire is Simon, he's with Raphael." He gestured to each respectively and I looked over each of them.

"Nice to meet you all. What can we do for you then?" I let my eyes stay on Alexander a little longer than the others, taking in his tall muscular stature and handsome face.

"So, are you two, like, a thing or?" He trailed off and I raised an eyebrow, looking up at Mags and our grins matched.

"No," I chuckled, shaking my head, "We've been best friends and partners for a few centuries. Most people do assume that though." A gentle hand squeezed my hip and I leant into it softly.

"You seem close enough, you're kind of handsie too," I raised a curious eyebrow at the young vampire, enjoying his curiosity though going off the look on Raphael's face he didn't.

"We've lived together for a long time, and known each other even longer. We come as a pair, can't have one without the other but that doesn't have to mean we're together in that way." I grinned at him, my magic swirling through my fingers languidly. "Curiosity is a fine thing Simon but you should be careful who you're curious about, might just bite you in the ass." I chided him softly, using a small spell to deliver a small biting sensation on his butt. He yelped and jumped, laughing nervously, but grinning widely all the same. I liked him, he seemed sweet.

"And you wonder why Raphael doesn't play nice," Magnus tutted, an amused twinkle in his eye. I hummed before turning back to the matter at hand.

"Now, I've heard you're causing quite the stir in the Shadow world Clary Fray, what is Magnus getting us into now?"

"I need help getting my Mom back, Valentine has taken her," A shiver ran down my spine at that name but I motioned for her to continue. "I don't know where he's taken her but I could do with all the help I can get and I've been told you guys are the best warlocks to ask." I thought about it seriously, biting my lip as I did. "I don't want to cause any trouble but Magnus knows about some of my past memories, ones he blocked that could help me find her." I walked towards her, cupping her face in my hands, hushing her gently. I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and let my thumb wipe away one of her tears with a gentle smile.

"Sweet girl, we'll help however we can as long as it's not a threat to the Downworld." She nodded gratefully, mouthing her thanks as her chest shuddered with a heavy breath. "I can't promise we can remove them but we can damn well try."

"Mama, it's not that simple." Raphael interrupted, looking furious. "We shouldn't get involved in shadowhunter business. They cause nothing but trouble for us." He spoke through gritted teeth, a hard glare fixed on Jace who leered back at him. These two obviously didn't get along.

"Rafe, sweetie, you can't justify not helping them because of that. That would make us just as bad as the Clave now wouldn't it?" I crossed my arms, looking at him disapprovingly. We raised him better than this, his anger was just clouding his judgement. "If things get too much then we'll walk away won't we Mags?" I glanced towards my partner who agreed with me. "You know that's how we work, my darling, we don't bite off more than we can chew." I made sure to emphasise so the Shadowhunters knew where we stood, looking pointedly at Jace whose glare never faltered. Perhaps my comment about the Clave had touched a nerve.

"Well, if you come back tomorrow we can get started, we have stock to replenish and things to organise, I'm sure you understand." Magnus began to shoo them closer to the door, waving them goodbye as I hugged Raphael. He paid special attention to bidding Alexander goodbye and I couldn't help my smirk as I made him a drink. It was 5 o'clock somewhere in the world after all.

"I can't help but feel like the next few days are to be exhausting." I handed the glass to him and nodded solemnly. There was no doubt about that.

[a-sparrows-melody]

The Mortal Instruments - Cassandra Clare

DISCLAIMER: These are my opinions. I do not mean harm - neither to the creator of this wonderful series, nor to the fandom and any of its followers. If you do not agree with my opinion, please do not engage merely to fight with me (I don't like it).

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare is a mixed bag of brilliance and flaws, particularly when revisited with a more critical eye.

I'd started reading this during a reading slump, so the books seemed absolutely perfect - filled with fast-paced action, vivid world-building, and a character-driven plot that never felt dull. The relatable flaws of the characters, especially Clary's ideals and Jace's identity crisis arc, made them endearing (at least in the first four books).

The first three books stood out, reflecting Clare’s meticulous research and captivating writing style, which skillfully incorporated advanced vocabulary. These elements created a strong and powerful narrative that resonated deeply, making the books a joy to read (especially during a reading slump, when you want nothing serious).

Simon's character was sort of relatable as well, and Magnus and Alec's relationship was really sweet. Isabelle was fairly fine as a character (mind you, I'm only talking about the first three books) - so no qualms for any of them (they were written as well as they could have been written).

However, the series' latter half falters. The fourth book was fine, merely as a check-in on beloved characters, but by the fifth and sixth installments, the story had fallen apart. The writing style had lost it's grip on me.

Clary's transformation into a Mary Sue (reminiscent of Bella from Twilight), was particularly disappointing. Her character became obsessed with Jace, reducing her personality to just her relationship with him (you know those high-school couples that make dating their entire personality?). Additionally, Clare’s portrayal of Clary’s victim complex was frustrating; in every battle, Clary does so little yet ends up needing the most care - which felt unrealistic and annoying.

Sebastian was just straight-up psychopathic (which was great - I love psychopathic antagonists) but he should have remained dead, in my opinion. The Lilith plot-line was just an unnecessary appendage.

A significant shortcoming of the series is its superficial treatment of human emotions. Despite being a character-driven story, the emotional depth of characters like Clary and Jace is often glossed over. Their traumas are mentioned but never fully explored, making their reactions feel shallow and disconnected from their experiences. For instance, the death of Jordan Kyle, a close friend, is barely acknowledged, with the characters quickly moving on without much reflection or grief (literally they're like: oh, that's sad. Hey, those are funny, undersized pajamas!).

The series also became repetitive, with a recurring plot cycle involving Jace getting possessed -> shutting down/running away -> Clary attempting to "save" him (read: putting more people in danger).

This redundancy, coupled with the lack of emotional realism, made the latter books feel like a letdown. Ultimately, the series should have ended after the first three books - which delivered a powerful message about a neglectful government and a flawed revolution. The decision to extend the series only diluted its impact, turning it into a disappointing follow-up to an initially strong start.

Yeah, I don't think I'll read the rest of the Shadowhunters mega-series

-X-

Trying books reviews for the first time! Yay! Any thoughts?

[shadowhunters-reprise]

Imagine

Raphael taking a liking towards you

(Raphael x fem!reader)

[poetpony6890]

Headcanon that sometimes Simon has to leave for work so Izzy sends him pictures and letter by fire. Magnus casts a spell so he can keep them. So here those are🩷

And then Jace one day out of the blue mentions that he might shorta miss Simon, so Izzy shows him how

[clubartaesthetic]

bookclub

[glitchglint]

My Dudes, Dudettes and Dudon'ts, I present to you 'The Mortal Instruments'

Part 5

[zodiyack]

The Mortal Instruments Masterlist

(updated per upload)

Back to Masterlist 

Prompt List / Prompt List Two / Smut Prompts | Send Me Requests &/or feedback! | To Do List

Taglist(s)

★ = smut

⋆ = presmut

♡ = fluff

☁ = angst

☠ = death

Jace Wayland

Headcannons ~

Jace comforting his S/O (anxiety / fear)

Series ~

The Little Things (Coming Soon)

part i. part ii. part iii. part iv. part v. epilogue.

Fics And More ~

Little Loner ♡

Jace is in love with Y/N, and she reciprocates his feelings. What happens when Clary, who fancies Jace, comes into the picture?

Pregnancy (A Drabble) ☁

(Really just an idea, but I'd love to make it a miniseries!) Magnus informs Jace's girlfriend that she's pregnant, and a jealous Clary breaks the news.

Clary Fray

(No fics yet, but feel free to request when requests happen to be open!)

Simon Lewis

(No fics yet, but feel free to request when requests happen to be open!)

(I have only seen the movie and the show)

[the-ultimate-obsessive-fangirl]

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[x-ceirios-x]

warlocks, part two

after months of back and forth, alec and magnus are finally together and at a place where their relationship isn't so awkward. magnus decides it's a great idea to introduce him to his oldest friends.

dw: alcohol consumption, mild cursing

It’ll be fun, Magnus had said. I met your whole family. You might as well meet my friends.

But it wasn’t fun, this was nerve wracking as hell. He and Magnus had only been officially dating for a week or so, and granted, he was right about meeting his parents several times now, but that didn’t make him feel any better about this. 

Either way, he went without argument. It would make Magnus happy, and Isabelle insisted on dragging him out shopping to give him something nice to wear. 

Alec knocked on the front door of Magnus’s apartment. Through the door, he heard muffled music , then someone squealed and Magnus yelled, both of which sounded like they were laughing at the same time. The door opened in front of him a moment later, revealing a rather good-looking guy. He wore a black button down shirt and similarly colored and neatly-pressed pair of slacks. He noticed his very dark hair and very gray-blue eyes—everything about him made him suddenly a little insecure. 

He smiled slightly and stepped aside, allowing him to come inside. “You must be Alec,” he said in a smooth voice, with a slight accent he couldn’t quite place. Something European, he figured. 

Alec shrugged off his jacket, hanging it on the stand near the door. “I am,” he said, turning back to him. 

The warlock stuck his hand out for him as he introduced himself, which he shook. “Desmin Rige,” he said with a slight smile. The guy was charming, too, which bothered him a little. Rowan described the feeling as ‘skeletons syndrome’—no one can be perfect, they have to have some skeletons in the closet somewhere. He wasn’t sure about this guy, he looked pretty perfect. “I apologize in advance for my sister. She’s…eccentric.”

Alec smirked. “More than Magnus?”

He gave him a challenging look that implied she was much, much worse, which would have made him laugh if he wasn’t so nervous. 

He didn't have much of a chance to reply, though, because Magnus suddenly whisked into the foyer. Desmin gave him a little wave and walked off, but his attention was mostly on his boyfriend. “Alexander,” he said cheerfully, a smile spread across his face. He leaned down slightly and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek—that was something new, the casual affection, but he didn’t mind it. Actually, he enjoyed it. “I have already asked these two to play nice tonight. Not for your sake, actually, but for mine.”

“Should I be worried?” he asked. 

Magnus shook his head. “No, no, I wouldn’t. I’m just nervous because they have…stories from over the years.”

“I think that sounds entertaining.”

His eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. “I’m desperately trying not to embarrass myself in front of you,” he admitted.

Alec smiled slightly and took his hand, giving it a quick squeeze. “After everything it took to get here, nothing they say is going to change how I feel about you, okay?” he asked, looking up, into his eyes. “Promise.”

He watched Magnus visibly relax: his shoulders slumped forward slightly, no longer held taught by anxiety, and he smiled. “Thank you, Alec.”

A voice coming from the kitchen cut through the moment, catching both their attention. “Magnus, if you don’t get in here and introduce me to your Shadowhunter boytoy, I’m not bartending your next party!”

He turned and called, “coming!” He smiled at Alec, his hand still laced in his. “That’s a worse threat than you think. She may be a warlock, but she’s magic with alcohol.” With that, he led him into the kitchen, where Desmin was sitting at the island, talking to a red-haired woman he assumed was the one who called them. 

When they walked through the door, her eyes focused on him. She had a very pretty, friendly face, dotted with freckles on the tops of her cheeks and nose. What put him off was her cold, blue eyes—she looked like she was trying to read into his soul. Desmin cleared his throat, and with some sort of silent communication, she knew what he meant and rolled her eyes. “He’s pretty, Magnus,” she said, her tone curt. She smiled and walked toward them both, extending her hand for him to shake. “Eleanor Rige. Lovely to meet you, my dear.” 

He shook her hand without hesitancy, though he noticed how her smile didn’t reach her eyes. He saw the same look from Isabelle when she was flirting with people for information, not fun—she wasn’t happy to meet him, despite what she said. “Alec Lightwood—likewise,” he said. He noted the wide-eyed look Desmin shot him before he quickly turned away, finding the granite counter suddenly very interesting. 

Eleanor raised an eyebrow. “Lightwood, hm?” she asked, looking at Magnus expectantly. “Interesting.”

He looked at each of the three of them, then turned to Magnus. “Is something wrong?” he asked. 

Like a lightswitch, her demeanor changed. Rather than the borderline hostile attitude he witnessed when he walked in, she was peppy and energetic, a real smile clean on her face. “Not at all. I’m just familiar with the family—several generations back, of course.” She returned to her place on the other side of the island and pulled a few bottles from the cabinets underneath, then a few glasses from a different one across the kitchen. “Care for a drink?” she asked over her shoulder. 

He looked at Magnus, who sighed deeply. “Sorry,” he muttered, taking a seat at the island.

He joined him, sitting between him and Desmin as Eleanor prepared drinks for everyone. He took whatever Magnus had, which was very pink and very fruity, with a slight shimmer to it that he didn’t know if it was magic or sparkles. It was fine; Jace would probably be laughing at him if he saw him drinking anything like that, but it wasn’t half bad. 

Alec glanced at Desmin, who was paying attention less to the conversation and more to the pocket journal he was scratching something in. “What’s that?” he asked, and added quickly, “If you don't mind me asking.”

He put the pencil down and closed the book, wrapping the string around it. “Oh, nothing important. I do a lot of writing in my free time—when an idea hits, I jot it down so I can work on it later.”

Magnus smiled slightly.  “Don’t be modest, Desmin—he’s got several published books that are hits in the mundane world. What’s your latest pen name?”

“It’s not a big deal—”

“Lionel Davis,” Eleanor said, rolling her eyes at him. “Not that many people know that, though.”

Alec thought for a moment when it suddenly clicked. He knew where he remembered that name from—Rowan had read them a few years ago. It was all they’d talk about for months. “Oh, the Remnant prophecy series, right? I think my friend read those.”

Magnus looked at him curiously. “Who?”

“Rowan.”

His eyes widened all of a sudden. “Why the hell was Rowan reading those?”

“Is it bad?”

Eleanor started laughing, holding the edge of the counter. Desmin’s cheeks turned a little red, he noticed, and he averted eye contact. Magnus was the only one willing to speak. “It’s…graphic.”

“And we don’t need to elaborate,” Desmin said, giving him a mortified but warning look. 

Alec cracked a smile—he decided then he’d keep that to himself and not ask too many questions. And probably not read the books, considering he didn’t think Desmin would ever be able to look at him again. 

Eleanor composed herself and turned toward him, looking much more relaxed than she had a few moments earlier. “Unrelated to any of that—” she gestured to Desmin, who still looked dejected— “but I hear there was trouble stirring in Idris? I haven’t been in a few hundred years—all I got was an SOS fire message from Magnus saying he needed a way out of a party immediately, which was strange knowing how much he likes to party.”

He looked at her strangely. “You weren’t there? I thought all the Downworlders in Brooklyn showed up for that battle.”

“Almost.” She smiled as she spoke, but the level of cheeriness put him off. “We prefer not to get involved in Clave affairs.”

“It wasn’t just a Clave issue, the entire population of Downworlders could have been wiped off the Earth—”

“If Valentine Morgenstern scared me, dear, you would have seen me. When you’re as old as I am, a prick with a god complex doesn’t do much for you. Been there, seen it.”

He gave Magnus a slightly wide-eyed look, though he cut the conversation in the direction of her original question to save face. “I sent that message when you were busy with your parents and I’d just finished talking with Rowan’s father. Which was single-handedly the most awkward conversation I’ve had in the last century, but at least that party had gin.”

“I don’t think either of these two know how to go to a party without a drink,” Desmin spoke up, muttering under his breath. He quickly hid the comment behind his own drink, looking at Eleanor out of the corner of his eye. 

“Says you,” she said, looking at him in the way Isabelle very frequently looked at himself when he said something stupid. “The last time I brought you to a real party, back in Prague—”

He nearly spat out his drink and very quickly buried his face in his hands. “Do you not understand the phrase shut up about Prague?”

Magnus leaned against his shoulder and muttered, “They still won’t tell me what happened in Prague, don’t ask.”

The rest of the evening went on fine. Alec noticed that Eleanor backed off quite a bit from how she’d acted early in the evening, rather enjoying the evening of the four of them swapping stories. He learned a lot about how warlocks simply lived. As a Shadowhunter, he’d never really given it a lot of thought, other than when they had to get involved because the warlock was doing something illegal. But this wasn’t the case at all—Eleanor liked to dance, so much so that she’d ended up on West End several years ago. And Desmin, who he found to be very similar to himself in his mannerisms, was clever and even funny, sometimes. He liked to teach but had taken a break from the profession several years ago. Instead, he chose to start working on another book series that had to do with royalty, magic, fairies—different than the ones in their world—and romance that Eleanor remarked was much more PG than what he’d done in the past (to which she received a death glare). 

They left after a few hours, deciding to head home before it got too late. Eleanor blamed it on her brother being an early bird, though behind her back he silently insisted it was her idea. Then it was just him and Magnus left in the apartment, slightly tipsy, sitting together on the couch more relaxed than he ever had been. So much pressure came off his shoulders when he kissed him in Idris, when he finally stood his ground and said he wasn’t willing to hide part of himself or the person he loved. If he was a man, if he was a Downworlder, it didn’t matter. Not to him, and not to anyone he cared about and cared about him. 

He kept thinking, though. That night, at the party, he found himself in a conversation with Aline and her parabatai. Things had calmed between the Penhallows and Lightwoods since they realized Sebastian had blind-sighted all of them and Jia and Patrick had as much of an idea he was an intruder as his parents did. She was cheerful and dressed nicely, just as everyone else was. For one night, they could pretend devastation and grief didn’t exist and be happy it was over. He didn’t know Lian well, but had met him at the party they’d thrown when they first arrived in Idris—it all felt so long ago. 

Aline had walked off to go get herself and Lian another drink, and he turned the conversation around. That was brave, what you did. Kissing the warlock, he’d said. When he corrected him and said his name was Magnus, he could tell it flustered him and it wasn’t what he intended. I just meant…I don’t know. It made me feel a little less alone. Like, maybe there’s hope for me out there, too, despite that. Someday. 

He reassured him with a smile, there will be. And he’d followed his gaze to his friend, the bleached-blond boy with the ripped jeans at the party that even Alec thought was effortlessly suave and a little cute. He was talking with Isabelle, a smile on his face that he only recognized from the way Magnus looked at him recently—utterly enamored and lovestruck. Maybe his chance wouldn’t be with Tony, but if Alec was certain of anything, there was a new generation coming into power—theirs, that would start changing things. 

“You’re quiet,” Magnus said, sitting up slightly. He ran his hand through his hair affectionately—unlike a few weeks ago, when he would have been terrified of such a tender gesture, he leaned into his touch, allowing him to wind the black strands through his fingers. “Did the twins scare you that much?”

He cracked a smile and shook his head when he pulled away. “No, not at all. It was… enlightening.”

“No, really. Eleanor is terrifying, you can admit it.”

They both chuckled, though Alec knew he wasn’t entirely kidding. He’d told him in preparation for the evening that the Rige twins were older than him and each was more powerful than him, though he didn’t know by how much. Let alone how strong they were together. They seemed to be good people, though.

“I’ll give you that.” He thought for a moment. “Can I tell you something, though?” Magnus hummed in response. “When were you going to tell me Desmin was a hotter version of me, or was I just supposed to figure that out myself?”

Magnus froze for a moment, staring at him incredulously, before he broke out into a fit of laughter. Alec laughed too—that was part of the point—though there was a bit of seriousness in his tone. 

It took him several moments to calm down, but when he did, he wiped a tear from his eye. “That’s like…god, Alec, Desmin’s more like my dad than anything. That’s so weird to think about and I’d rather not do it again.”

He chuckled, though looked at him curiously. “You never told me that.”

He waved it off. “They found me when I was a child. Eleanor has always apologized and told me they would have raised me longer if they didn’t have other things getting in the way—what, they won’t tell me, but I learned to live with the secrecy. But they’re the closest thing I have to parents, in their own, weird way.”

Alec nodded as he spoke. “That’s sweet, actually. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t like me. Thinks I’m not good enough for you.”

He scoffed. “If Eleanor didn’t like you, you would have been a toad on the floor in a matter of minutes. She thinks you’re fine, she just doesn’t like your family.”

“What did my family do to her?”

“A young woman, nearly a hundred years ago, named Anna, broke her heart. Desmin told me it was nasty and she doesn’t like to talk about it. She’s always been distrustful of the Nephilim, but that seemed to have solidified her prejudices.” Magnus turned toward him, his hand finding his like it was the most natural thing in the world. “She cares very deeply about people, though, especially those she lets into her very small circle. Eleanor is a giver in her heart—the day she asks you for something, you know you’ll have gained her trust.”

“And how do you suggest I do that?”

“Don’t break my heart—she’ll probably turn you into that toad I mentioned.”

Alec laughed softly. “I don’t plan on it.”

Magnus leaned into him and kissed him, gentle and slow, his hand never leaving his. Despite what he thought, this was the most natural thing in the world. Because after everything, things felt right with Magnus. It took a while for him to realize how much he meant to him, but all the little things he did solidified it in his mind. It felt right, more right than anything else he’d ever done in his life.